Lesson 8: Natural Hazards

• Exposure- the extent to which populations in hazard-

  prone areas are exposed to and burdened by the

  impacts of extreme natural events or the negative

  consequences of climate change.
• Risk- The potential loss of life, injury, or

  destroyed or damaged assets which could

  occur to a system, society or a community in a

  specific period of time, determined

  probabilistically as a function of hazard,

  exposure, vulnerability and capacity.
• Vulnerability (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk

  Reduction)- characteristics and circumstances of a

  community, system or asset that make it susceptible to

  damaging effects of a hazard.
• According to the Philippine DRR Law (2010):

  "Hazard is a dangerous

  phenomenon, substance, human

  activity or condition that may

  cause loss of life, injury or other

  health impacts, property damage,

  loss of livelihoods and services,

  social and economic disruption,

  or environmental damage.”
• Natural Hazard: Naturally-occurring physical phenomenon caused either by rapid or slow onset events
• Man-made and Technological Hazard:

  Events caused by humans and occur

  in or close to human settlements.

  May arise directly as a result of the

  impacts of a natural hazard event.
• Biological Hazard:

  Processes or phenomenon of organic

  origin or conveyed by biological vectors

  and agents including exposure to

  pathogenic microorganisms, toxins and

  bioactive substances
• Geologic Hazard: Geological processes or phenomenon
• Hydrometeorological Hazard:

  Processes or phenomenon of

  atmospheric, hydrological, or

  oceanographic nature
• "Disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of

  a community or a society involving widespread

  human, material, economic, or environmental losses

  and impacts which exceeds the ability of the affected

  community or society to cope using its own

  resources.”