Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

• Disaster Risk = hazard x exposure x vulnerability
• Exposure

  • degree to which the elements at risk are likely to experience hazard events of different magnitudes
• RA 10121

  • provides a comprehensive, all-hazard, multi-sectoral, inter-agency, and community-based approach to disaster risk management through the formulation of the National Disaster Risk Management Framework.
• Vulnerability

  • characteristics of a community, system, or assets that make it susceptible to damaging effects of a hazard
• Disaster Risk

  • the function of hazard, vulnerability, and capacity. It is the result from a combination of hazards
• Capacity

  • combination of all the strengths, attributes, and resources available within a community that can be used to achieve agreed goals.
• Hazard

  • 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.
• Disaster

  • 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.
• Natural disaster

  • It is a type of disaster brought about by naturally occurring phenomena.
• Major Natural Disasters

  • include cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and drought because of the large scale of their impact
• Minor Natural Disaster

  • includes thunderstorms, heatwaves, mudslides, and cold waves this is due to the smaller effects of these phenomena.
• Man-made Disaster

  • It is a type of disaster that is directly traced to human actions, whether accidental or intentional.
• Major Man-made Disasters

  • include fires, deforestation, epidemic, wars, and chemical pollution.
• Minor Man-made Disasters

  • includes vehicular accidents, food poisoning, industrial disasters, and environmental pollution
• Risk

  • Is the combination of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.
• Physical Vulnerability

  • determined by aspects such as population density levels, remoteness of a settlement, the site, design, and materials used for critical infrastructure and housing (UNISDR)
• Social Vulnerability

  • refers to the inability of people, organizations, and societies to withstand adverse impacts to hazards due to characteristics inherent in social interactions, institutions, and systems of cultural values. It is linked to the level of well-being of individuals, communities, and society.
• Economic Vulnerability

  • The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of individuals, communities, and nations. The poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because they lack the resources to build sturdy structures and put out other engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively impacted by disasters.
• Environmental Vulnerability

  • Natural Resource depletion and resource degradation are key aspects of environmental vulnerability.
• Reasons why certain sectors of society are more vulnerable to disaster than others :

  A. Demographic factors

  1. Population density

  2. Age of population

  3. Distribution of population

  
  

  B. Socio-economic factors

  1. Wealth

  2. Education

  3. Nature of society

  4. Understanding of the area

  
  

  C. Community preparedness

  1. Building codes

  2. Scientific monitoring and early warning systems

  3. Communication networks

  4. Emergency planning

  
  

  D. Dealing with after effects

  1. Insurance cover

  2. Emergency personnel

  3. Aid request
• Types of Disaster

  • Natural disaster
  • Man-made disaster
• Types of Vulnerability:

  • Physical Vulnerability
  • Social Vulnerability
  • Economic Vulnerability
  • Environmental Vulnerability
• Types of Hazard

  • Biological hazards
  • Chemical hazards
  • Physical hazards
  • Ergonomic hazards
• Biological hazards

  • Include viruses, bacteria, insects, and animals that can cause adverse health impacts.
  • For example, mold, blood, and other bodily fluids, harmful plants, sewage, dust, and vermin.
• Chemical hazards

  • These hazards can affect one's bodily and mental well-being by causing things like skin irritation, respiratory system irritation, blindness, corrosion, and explosions.
• Physical hazards

  • Include heights, noise, radiation, and pressure, which are ambient variables that can hurt an employee without actually coming into contact with them.
• Ergonomic hazards

  • Are a result of physical factors that can result in musculoskeletal injuries.
  • For example, a poor workstation setup in an office, poor posture, and manual handling.
• A HAZARD IS A THREAT TO:

  • People
  • Human activity
  • Environment
  • Property
• Classification of Hazard

  I. Natural hazards

  II. Quasi-natural hazards

  III. Technological hazards
• Natural hazards

  • such as earthquakes or floods arise from purely natural processes in the environment.
• Quasi-natural hazards

  • such as smog or desertification arise through the interaction of natural processes and human activities.
• Technological hazards

  • such as the toxicity of pesticides to fauna, and the accidental release of chemicals or radiation from a nuclear plant. These arise directly as a result of human activities
• Earthquake

  • rumbling, shaking of the ground, or rolling of the earth’s surface.
  • abrupt motion of the earth's crust as a result of its energy being released in the form of seismic waves.
  • shaking of the ground caused by the sudden breaking and movement of large sections (tectonic plates)
• Epicenter

  • the point on the surface of the earth directly above the focus
• Hypocenter (Focus)

  • point inside the earth where the earthquake started
• Fault or Fault Plane

  • the surface where two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past each other
  • break in the earth's crust along which movement can take place causing an earthquake
• Fault Rupture

  • differential movement of the two sides of a fracture in the earth
• Foreshock

  • energy release and ground shaking before an earthquake
  • small earthquakes that lead to a major earthquake
  • small waves that lead to bigger waves resulting in an earthquake
• Aftershock

  • energy release and ground shaking after an earthquake.
  • small earthquakes that follow the main earthquake.
  • More destructive because the infrastructure has cracks from the earthquake
• Tectonic Earthquake

  • the build-up of energy within the rocks due to the movement of faults - occur due to the tectonic plate's movement