DRR UNIT 3

• natural event or phenomena

  • a physical event that is natural in origin (geological, hydrometeorological or biological). 
• Vulnerability

  • increases the susceptibility of a given community to the impact of a hazard. Vulnerability is affected by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes.
• Exposure

  • is the degree or likelihood that a hazard will be experienced by elements at risk. Exposure comes in varying degrees depending on the proximity of exposed elements to hazards and the magnitude of the hazard event.
• disaster

  • happens when the impact of hazards on human lives and the socio-economic activities is significant and extensive. 
• catastrophe

  • is bigger than a disaster. For some, the damage caused by Typhoon Yolanda is considered a catastrophe. 
• World Risk Index

  • is calculated by Alliance Development Works/Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (BEH) and United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security. It calculates the natural disaster risks for 171 countries. It is released annually by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (BEH). 
• Climate

  • is the average weather conditions of a place or regions of the Earth observed over a period of years. The weather conditions include temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation.
• Plate Tectonics Theory

  • states that the lithosphere is made up of several plates that move either by floating on or gliding over the asthenosphere. Seismic and tectonic activity occur at the plate boundaries. 
• Volcanoes that are located at the plate boundaries in the Pacific Ocean area are observed to form a “ring.” This area is called the Pacific Ring of Fire. 
• In the World Risk Index, the Philippines ranked third.
• A volcanic eruption is a natural event but it is not always considered as a hazard
• The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction defines hazard as a natural event or a human activity that has the potential of causing loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.
• Hazards are future threats coming from different origins.
• Natural events are geological, hydrometeorological, and biological in origin. Environmental degradation and technological hazards are results of human activities.
• When the natural event is close to or at the center of a populated area, such as the case in the Haiti earthquake, that natural event is transformed into a hazard.
• Natural events such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or floods will remain as natural events when they do not impact human lives or property.
• Population and economic development predict the likelihood of the hazard.
• A hazard can transform into a disaster depending on exposure and vulnerability. Underlying the three elements are human decisions and actions.
• Living and health conditions, resources and skills define vulnerabilities.
• elements of disaster risk.

  
• UNISDR classified hazards into two:

  • natural
  • human-induced
• Hazards of natural origin can be categorized as geological, hydrometeorological, or biological.
• Geological hazards are natural events that originated from movements of the crust and this includes earthquake, volcanic eruptions, tsunami, and landslide.
• Hydro-meteorological hazards originated from atmospheric conditions and composition.
• Biological hazards include epidemics, pest infestations, and other diseases caused by animals and insects.
• Biological hazards originated from living organisms and these are usually in the form of harmful microorganisms that have potentials to cause epidemics.
• Under human-induced or anthropogenic hazards are environmental degradation and technological.
• when there is an interaction between natural events and human activities, it is referred to as a quasi-natural hazard.
• Tectonic hazards pertain to impacts of the earth movements.
• Climatic hazards refer to the impacts of weather conditions but there can be weather-related hazards that bring about geological hazards. For instance, typhoon can induce a landslide in a deforested mountainous area.
• Hazards may be classified in several ways but they are always either due to natural processes or induced/influenced by human activities.
• Magnitude

  • refers to the strength and power of an earthquake to which we can predict its potential destructive capacity.
• Intensity measures the severity of an earthquake or the level of impact it caused in a specific area.
• the Richter Magnitude Scale measures the released energy in an earthquake.
• The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) measures volcanic explosive eruptions.
• The Fujita Scale rates the intensity of hurricanes.
• The onset of hazards, its duration, and frequency based on historical records are also utilized to describe and predict the occurrence of hazards.
• The magnitude of a hazard does not define its impact on people and infrastructures. It is the size of the population, the type of structures and their number that determines the impact of a hazard.
• The levels of impact of hazards depend on its interaction with the physical, social, economic and environmental elements found in a given geographical location of people, property, and infrastructure.
• Physical Impact

  • This includes the destruction or damage to infrastructure such as facilities, transport systems, roads and bridges, communication systems, water supply systems, and energy supplies and power lines. Housing and tangible human assets belong to this impact. Mortality, human injuries, and health impacts are classified under this as well.