Living with tectonic hazards - risk or opportunity?
It is understandable that areas near plate boundaries, where tectonic hazards are most prevalent, possess high risk to the people living within the vicinity. So why then do people still choose to live in such areas?
To answer the above inquiry question, a simple statement like, 'people continue to live in areas prone to tectonic hazards due to the following list of benefits that can be reaped...' is insufficient. There is a need to consider the context where the benefits may outweigh the risks of living in such areas.
For example, the reason can be that volcanic areas can possess economic value to agricultural farmers due to the fertility of the volcanic soils. In addition, since the frequency of a destructive volcanic eruption is relatively low in certain regions around the world, this can prompt agricultural farmers to choose to reside along the slope of volcanoes despite recognising the possible risks involved.