LESSON 3

• Elements at risk are the people, properties, economic activities, and private and public services potentially threatened by a harmful event
• Risk assessment involves the identification and mapping of the elements at risk and the assessment of vulnerability
• Risk is a function of hazard, which refers to the probability of occurrence at a given magnitude
• Physical exposure is the combination of hazard and exposed population, calculated as PhExp = Hazard x Exposure
• The social dimension of exposure and vulnerability covers concerns such as migration, social groups, health, education, culture, institutions, and governance aspects
• Demography is an important aspect of the social dimension
• Population density maps are excellent indicators of exposure and vulnerability
• Physical elements exposed to various hazards include:

  • Essential Facilities:
  • Educational facilities
  • Medical and healthcare facilities (e.g., hospitals and clinics)
  • Emergency response facilities (e.g., fire station, police station, and shelters)
  • Government offices
  • Recreational or tourist facilities (e.g., hotels, resorts, parks, public gardens, camping grounds, sporting areas, etc.)
  • Places of worship (e.g., churches or mosques)
  • Banks and financial centers
  • Markets and shopping centers
  • Cemeteries
• • Industrial and High Potential Loss Facilities and Facilities Containing Hazardous Materials
  • Transportation Lifelines
  • Utility Lifelines
• Among the economic effects of a hazard event are business interruptions, loss of jobs, loss of government income, and impact on the gross domestic product (GDP)
• The most vulnerable populations include people with disabilities, children, seniors, medication-dependent individuals, women, ethnic minorities, homeless individuals, incarcerated individuals, and marginalized groups
• Developing nations face more exposure and vulnerability due to their relative inability to adapt to changes and create wealth
• Rapid urbanization in hazardous areas increases vulnerability to disaster risk
• Economic vulnerability is the susceptibility of individuals, communities, businesses, and governments to absorb or cushion the effects of a hazard event
• Vulnerability can be expressed as a quantity between 0 (lowest degree) and 1 (highest degree), and for people, it can be measured as a ratio of casualties or injured to the total population
• Poor people are more vulnerable to certain natural hazards due to limited access to livelihoods, family responsibilities, and reproductive roles