THE ROLE OF HAZARD, VULNERABILITY AND DAMAGE IN THE GENERATION AND DEFINITION OF ECOLOGICAL RISK CAUSED BY NATURAL HAZARD SOURCES

Abstract

In the 20^th century, the study of ecological risk took precedence over studies of other risk types, giving rise to a new scientific discipline within environmental science – ecological risk. This paper presents a structural scheme with basic guidelines to be used when defining risk in general as well as ecological risk. Ecological risk focuses on determining the cause-and-effect relationship between stressors, as hazard elements, and the occurrence of unwanted ecological effects. It is a complex process involving all factors leading to phenomena and conditions that threaten the environment. The paper discusses hazard elements in terms of natural hazard sources, such as floods, landslides, droughts, or earthquakes, whose occurrence causes undesirable environmental effects and which are considered to pose ecological risks. Such risks are defined as a logical interdependence of environmental hazard, vulnerability, and damage.