DRR UNIT 1

• Disaster

  • a dangerous situation or threat from natural or man-made events that disrupt the functions of individuals in a community. This could mean death, damage to resources, and loss of property.
  • occur when a hazard is exposed to a vulnerable community.
• hazard

  • a threat to life, environment, or property.
  • can be considered a disaster if it poses an actual harm to life and environment. It can be classified based on its origins: natural and man-made.
• Natural hazards

  • are caused by an abrupt or slow onset of naturally occurring phenomena which can be biological, geological, hydrological, meteorological, and climatological in origin.
• Types of natural hazards

  • biological
  • geological
  • hydrological
  • meteorological
  • climatological
• biological

  • diseases, epidemics, plagues
• geological

  • earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, and volcanic activity
• hydrological

  • avalanche, floods
• meteorological

  • storm surges, cyclones, tornadoes
• climatological

  • drought, wildfires
• Man-made hazards

  • are caused by human activities and occur near human settlements. Pollution, industrial, and transport accidents, conflicts (war and terrorism), and technological structures are some examples of man-made hazards.
• The failure to withstand the impacts of hazards is called vulnerability. For example, a town located near an active volcano is more vulnerable to a volcanic eruption compared to a town located far from the volcano.
• Mitigation

  • refers to the act of preventing or minimizing the effects of a disaster by introducing precautionary measures before it strikes a community.
• How are disasters formed? We can recall that disaster occurrence is a combination of hazards and vulnerability.
• A vulnerable community exposed to a hazard is prone to disaster risks.
• Vulnerability

  • is often caused by limited resources, illnesses within the population, and disabilities within a community. Failure to plan proper disaster management procedures also contribute to disaster formation.
• the earthquake on the West Valley Fault lining the National Capital Region and nearby areas is unpredictable.
• natural disasters like typhoons occur with warning.
• PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services) and the media

  • provide information about the typhoon’s speed and location so that citizens could take precautionary measures and evacuation procedures before the typhoon strikes.
• Man-made disasters

  • are caused by human activities and usually occur in human settlements.
  • can happen with or without warning. Flood caused by an unknown leak or breakage in a water dam, without proper mitigation is an example of unpredicted disaster.
• natural disasters

  • wind related (typhoons)
  • water related (flash flood)
  • earth related (landslides)
  • space related (asteroid collisions)
• man-made disasters

  • war
  • arson
  • industrial explosions
  • wildlife extinction
• Disaster risk

  • is defined by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) as “the combination of the probability of an event and its negative consequences.”
  • This includes severity of hazard, number of damage to people and resources, and their vulnerability to damage.
• Hazard

  • any phenomenon that can potentially cause damage to life, property, or environment.
• Exposure

  • any element (people, property, or system) that is present in a hazard and is prone to potential loss.
• Vulnerability

  • feature of a community that makes them prone and exposed to the negative impacts of hazard.
• The ability of a community to withstand, accommodate, and recover from a disaster is called resilience.
• According to UNISDR, 1.6 billion people have been killed in disasters worldwide since 1980. It is also estimated that global average annual loss will increase up to US$415 billion by 2030. Disaster risk is measured and assessed to reduce the number of deaths and resources lost as mentioned in the example.
• A risk assessment is made to estimate the potential economic, infrastructure, and social impacts.
• Vulnerability

  • the likelihood that assets will be damaged or destroyed when exposed to a hazard event
• Impact

  • for use in preparedness, an evaluation of what might happen to people and assets from a single event
• Risk

  • is the composite of all potential events (100’s or 1000’s of models).
• Disaster Risk Factors

  • physical
  • psychological
  • socio-cultural
  • economic
  • biological
• Physical

  • This includes the concrete objects in a community that can help or harm an individual during a disaster. Examples are availability of fire exits during a fire, sturdiness of infrastructure or the ability of a building to withstand earthquakes.
• Psychological

  • It includes the mental state of an individual, like the ability of an individual to respond to a disaster and fear.
• Socio-cultural

  • This includes traditions, religion, and social statuses in society. Examples include community folklore, presence of bayanihan system, etc.
• Economic

  • This includes resources in the community and the income source of individuals such as farming and employment.
• Biological

  • This includes the flora and fauna in the environment, their health, and its diseases.
• Disaster risk reduction

  • aims to decrease the risk level in communities.
  • It implements policies and measures to control potential risks like poor urban and rural planning, poverty, and poor government and local capacities.
• Disaster risk reduction is implemented in order to:

  • reduce vulnerability to life, property, or environment to an existing hazard;
  • reduce degree of exposure to hazards; and
  • increase preparedness through proper mitigation procedures.
• Increased population in evacuation centers is the most immediate effect during a disaster.