Examine the reasons why people continue to live in areas at risk from hazardous events.

Why do people live in hazardous areas?

• Disasters may be quite rare, so people may believe that the hazard will happen again or they are not sufficiently educated to know how likely it is that the hazard will happen again

• The benefits of the area may outweigh the risks. e.g fertile soils from volcanic ash and jobs from tourism

• There may be family heritage in the particular area and people will be reluctant to move away

• Religious importance

• Precious metals formed from the magma and lava underground

• Geothermal energy