DRISK (2ndSem-1stTerm)

• Disaster


  A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity, leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts
• Disaster 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, and capacity
• Types of Disaster (according to classification)

  • Geophysical (e.g. Earthquakes, Landslides, Tsunamis and Volcanic Activity)
  • Hydrological (e.g. Avalanches and Floods)
  • Climatological (e.g. Extreme Temperatures, Drought and Wildfires)
  • Meteorological (e.g. Cyclones and Storms/Wave Surges)
  • Biological (e.g. Disease Epidemics and Insect/Animal Plague)
• Tsunami


  Series of waves caused by an underwater earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslides or other sea disturbances
• Flood


  Usually disastrous overflow of water from a lake or other body of water due to excessive rainfall or other input of water
• Cyclone


  Rapidly-rotating storm systems that rotate (counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere) around a low pressure centre
• Storm/Wave Surge


  An abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, above the predicted astronomical tides
• Epidemic


  A disease outbreak that occurs within a specific geographical area
• Pandemic


  A disease outbreak that spreads to multiple areas or the entire globe
• Plague


  A disease that affects humans and other mammals
• Two Main Types of Disaster (according to origin)

  • Man-made disaster (have an element of human intent, negligence, or error involving a failure of a man-made system)
  • Natural disaster (a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth and natural hazards)
• Examples of Natural Disasters

  • Hurricanes and tropical storms
  • Landslides & debris flow
  • Thunderstorms and lighting
  • Tornadoes
  • Tsunamis
  • Wildfire
  • Winter and ice storms
  • Sinkholes
• Four Phases of Disaster Management

  • Mitigation (effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters)
  • Preparedness (based on a sound analysis of disaster risks and good linkages with early warning systems)
  • Response (the assistance and intervention during or immediately after an emergency)
  • Recovery (restoration of an organization following any impacts from a disaster)
• Global Warming


  Rise in global temperatures due mainly to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
• Climate Change

  Increasing changes in the measures of climate over a long period of time – including precipitation, temperature, and wind patterns
• Effects of Disaster


  • Danger of death or physical injury
  • Loss of home, possessions, and community
  • Displaced population
  • Health Risk
  • Emotional Aftershock
  • Food Scarcity
• Human Factors that Affect/Influence the Severity of Disaster

  • Wealth
  • Education
  • Governance
  • Technology
  • Gender
• Exposure


  The situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production capacities and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas
• Vulnerability

  The inability to resist a hazard or to respond when a disaster has occurred
• Types of Vulnerability


  • Physical Vulnerability
  • Agricultural Vulnerability
  • Structural Vulnerability
  • Social 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 for housing
• Agricultural Vulnerability


  Households who depend on agriculture are particularly vulnerable to natural hazards and climate change
• Structural Vulnerability


  Function of the location population and the built environment, along with its characteristics relative to the hazard captured in building codes and structural characteristics
• Social Vulnerability


  Socioeconomic and demographic factors that affect the resilience of communities
• Factors that Affect Vulnerability


  • Children
  • Senior citizen
  • Gender
  • Socioeconomic status
  • Education
• Disaster Governance


  An emerging concept in the disaster research literature that is closely related to risk governance and environmental governance
• Hazard


  Any source of potential for damage to man and environment that may result from the occurrence of natural events
• Types of Hazards


  • Biological hazards
  • Radioactive hazards
  • Chemical hazards
• Non-ionizing Radiation


  A type of low-energy radiation that does not have enough energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule
• Ionizing Radiation


  A form of energy that acts by removing electrons from atoms and molecules of materials that include air, water, and living tissue
• Types of Chemical Hazards in the Workplace

  • Asphyxiants
  • Corrosive
  • Irritant
  • Sensitizing agents
  • Carcinogens
  • Mutagens
  • Teratogens
• Physical Hazard


  An agent, factor or circumstance that can cause harm with contact
• Able of inducing a state of altered reactivity

  In which the recipient reacts with an immediate or delayed exaggerated response
• Carcinogens


  Substances that cause cancers (e.g. asbestos, nickel, cadmium, radon, vinyl chloride, benzidine, and benzene)
• Carcinogens may act alone or with another carcinogen to increase your risk
• Mutagens


  Anything that causes a mutation (a change in the DNA of a cell)
• DNA changes caused by mutagens may harm cells and cause certain diseases, such as cancer
• Teratogens


  Substances that cause congenital (inborn) disorders in a developing embryo or fetus
• Teratogens


  • Drugs, medicine, chemicals, certain infections and toxic substances
• Physical hazard


  An agent, factor or circumstance that can cause harm with contact. They can be classified as a type of occupational hazard or environmental hazard