Plate Tectonics

MEDCs:

• Many MEDCs do hazard mapping and zonal planning. They will assess the risk for different areas of the country e.g. is it likely to flood or be in a lava flow. They will then only allow low value and low risk land uses in hazardous areas.

• Most MEDCs have fairly strict building codes to protect against earthquake damage. Buildings will have to be reinforced, have shatter proof windows, dampers, sprinklers and escape routes.

• In MEDCs the entire population will be educated about hazards. They will know what potential hazards there are and how to respond to them. People will be told evacuation routes and where safe areas are.

• Emergency and rescue services will be trained so they know how to find victims and how to treat them. They will have proper equipment and carry out practices.

• Hazards will be better monitored in MEDCs, scientists will study volcanoes, track hurricanes and then try and make accurate predictions and inform the public.

• Transport and communications are usually much better. The population can be informed and are more easily able to escape. There are likely to be more helicopters which can be essential in search efforts when roads are damaged.

• MEDCs are simply richer so they can afford to spend more money on training and preparedness.

• There will be stockpiles of tents, blankets, food and water for anyone who has lost their home and possessions.

LEDCs:

• LEDCs tend to have more informal settlements that don't follow building codes. This makes them more vulnerable when hazards hit.

• Many LEDCs suffer from rapid urbanisation and uncontrolled growth of settlements on dangerous marginal land.

• Medical care will be poorer in LEDCs and there will be less money spent on search and rescue teams.

• Many LEDCs rely on emergency aid during times of natural disasters. Emergency aid always takes several days to mobilise which will usually cost lives.

• Transport and communication will be poorer in LEDCs. Much of the population will not have access to phones, television or the internet so will not be warned about forthcoming natural disasters.If they do know, lack of adequate transport may make escape difficult. There will certainly be a shortage of helicopters.

• Inadequate supplies of tents, blankets, food and clean water.

• Services like electricity and water will take longer to repair, leading to the secondary hazards of diseases and exposure.

• A lot of population will be illiterate and never taught about potential natural disasters and how to respond to the natural disasters.

• Less money will be spent on monitoring potential hazards, because countries have less money and less trained scientists.

• Evacuation routes may not exist and there may be as shortage of shelters.

• Poor LEDC cities often have very high population densities. This causes more people to be effected by the primary and secondary hazard.

Being prepared for an earthquake:

• They can be built in areas less vulnerable to hazards e.g. flat land with solid rock.
• Cross braces can be used to make the building stronger.
• Dampers can be added to high buildings to counteract swing in earthquakes.
• Springs can be added to foundation to allow buildings to move. 
• Pictures can be secured to walls, windows reinforced and emergency exits created.