Global Dynamics: Hazards, Development, and Economic Integration
Natural Hazards and Environmental Impact
Natural hazards are natural phenomena of many types (snow, earthquakes, storms, etc.) that occur as a result of living on a very dynamic planet. Natural hazards must be associated with human presence; that is, they must affect people or goods that we value.
The degradation of the environment plays an important role in triggering disasters. Countries experiencing deforestation, erosion, and severe overuse of marginal lands for crops are increasingly subject to the risk of natural disasters. This effect is exacerbated as the water retention capacity provided by vegetation disappears. Furthermore, urbanization and construction accentuate the effects of natural hazards by reducing the Earth’s natural water absorption capacity.
Development, Population, and Economy
Economic and Human Development Metrics
Economic development is characterized by the growth of GDP, the increase of capital movements, and the expansion of technological means. The distribution of economic development can either benefit a privileged minority or improve the living conditions of the majority of the population.
Human development focuses on creating conditions so that people can develop their personal capacities. There are three basic indicators:
- Living a long, healthy life.
- Education.
- Having a decent standard of living.
Situations involving malnutrition or lack of health resources hinder human development. The opposite of human development is poverty. The UN defines absolute poverty as the state where a person does not cover a range of basic needs (food, health, etc.) or when adequate social mechanisms are not provided by the State.
Population Growth and Urbanization Trends
During the second half of the twentieth century, population growth occurred thanks to a significant decline in mortality rates and increased birth rates. Urbanization is a phenomenon where cities grow rapidly in number, population, and area. Cities are not developing at the same rate globally: the most rapid urbanization is occurring in less developed countries, while developed countries experience slower growth.
The Globalization of the Economy and Post-Industrial Society
With the emergence of new technologies, production systems have changed, and traditional industry is no longer necessary. Traditional economic power is now based on the mastery of technologies and information transmission systems. This is known as the post-industrial society.
In this new society, developed nations do not necessarily need to maintain industries within their territory. Relocating factories to less developed countries can be profitable because it minimizes labor costs and problems. This trend has led to an economic system characterized by the delocalization of production.
Communications and exchanges must be conceived from a global perspective. The market for producers of goods and services is no longer limited to their country of origin; they are required to produce and compete anywhere in the world. This is the globalization of the economy, understood as the growing integration of the entire global economy into a single economic system dominated by capitalism.
The index of economic globalization in a state is measured by its imports and exports, which represent the percentage of trade relative to the country’s GDP. Competition among manufacturers is focused on increasing market share, making the existence of a self-sufficient country—capable of producing everything it needs—impossible.