Which factor increases exposure to secondary hazards like landslides for displaced populations?

Which factor increases exposure to secondary hazards like landslides for displaced populations?

• A. Location of temporary shelters
• B. Improper soil stabilization
• C. Early warning systems
• D. Road safety measures

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how the siting of shelters affects a displaced population’s risk from secondary hazards like landslides. If temporary shelters are placed on or near unstable ground—steep slopes, deforested hillsides, areas with poor drainage—the ground can fail when heavy rain or seismic shaking occurs. A landslide can sweep through tents and shelters, block routes for aid, trap people, and cause injuries or fatalities. So, choosing stable, well-drained locations away from high-risk slopes directly reduces exposure and keeps aid access clearer. Early warning systems, by contrast, help people evacuate before a landslide happens, which reduces exposure rather than increasing it. Road safety measures primarily address hazards on transport routes rather than the landslide danger itself. Improper soil stabilization would raise risk, but it’s about how a site is engineered rather than where the shelter is placed overall; and in the context of exposure for displaced populations, the most immediate factor is where the shelters are located.

The main idea here is how the siting of shelters affects a displaced population’s risk from secondary hazards like landslides. If temporary shelters are placed on or near unstable ground—steep slopes, deforested hillsides, areas with poor drainage—the ground can fail when heavy rain or seismic shaking occurs. A landslide can sweep through tents and shelters, block routes for aid, trap people, and cause injuries or fatalities. So, choosing stable, well-drained locations away from high-risk slopes directly reduces exposure and keeps aid access clearer.

Early warning systems, by contrast, help people evacuate before a landslide happens, which reduces exposure rather than increasing it. Road safety measures primarily address hazards on transport routes rather than the landslide danger itself. Improper soil stabilization would raise risk, but it’s about how a site is engineered rather than where the shelter is placed overall; and in the context of exposure for displaced populations, the most immediate factor is where the shelters are located.