Lesson 2.3

• 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
• RA 10121


  The Act shifted the policy environment and the way the country deals with disasters from mere response to preparedness
• Disaster risk reduction (DRR)


  A term used for reducing and preventing disaster risks
• Disaster risk reduction (DRR)


  • It is founded on the principle that while hazards are inevitable, its adverse effects like lost lives and/or destruction of property are not
• Disaster Impacts


  • loss of life
  • Disease
  • Injury
  • negative effects on human, physical, mental and social well-being
  • damage to property
  • loss of services, social destruction of assets
  • economic disruption and environmental degradation
• Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)


  The concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through analysis and management of the causal factors of disasters
• DRR


  • Reduced exposure to hazards
  • Effective management of land and the environment
  • Lessening of vulnerability of people and assets
  • Improved preparedness for adverse events
• DRR strategies


  • Usually begin with plans for assessing the hazards and risks that threaten the target area
  • Vulnerable people's capacities to cope with and recover from possible disasters
  • Extent of harm that would occur
• Key principles of DRRM


  • Development can either increase or decrease disaster risk
  • DRRM policies, laws, and regulations can save lives if properly and strictly implemented in the community
  • If community members are well prepared and equipped with sufficient knowledge, the impact of disaster can be lessened
• Elements of Disaster Risk Reduction

  • Prevention
  • Mitigation
  • Adaptation
  • Preparedness
  • Response
  • Recovery
• Prevention


  The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters
• Mitigation


  The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters
• Adaptation


  The adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities
• Preparedness


  The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events or conditions
• Response


  Disaster response is predominantly focused on immediate and short-term needs and is sometimes called "disaster relief"
• Recovery


  The restoration, and improvement where appropriate, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of disaster-affected communities
• Awareness is the most important component of education; however, disaster risk reduction is at its most effective and valuable state when it invests on individuals and communities to become important actors in disaster reduction strategies
• Asia Pacific Region, where Philippines is located, is considered as the most disaster prone region in the world
• A disaster risk reduction assists us to consider our emergency response activities in light of existing and new disaster risks
• Building resilience is the main importance of disaster risk reduction. Disaster risk reduction is vital for building a more equitable and sustainable future
• Five priorities identified for action

  • to identify, assess, and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning systems
  • to use knowledge, innovation, and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels
  • to reduce the underlying risk factors
  • to strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response and recovery at all levels, from the local to the national
• Responsibility for disaster risk management does not lie with disaster managers alone. It is rather a concern for everyone - from citizens who must be empowered to make decisions which reduce risk
• Risk communication must be clear and simple
• Some are afraid of even thinking about the possibility of an earthquake, a tropical cyclone, floods, landslides, tsunamis or even the most common household hazards, such as fire, hitting their homes
• Every organization and government engaged in disaster risk reduction awareness must plan and communicate harmonized messages – a key element to avoid confusion
• It starts with one individual, a family, neighbors, the whole community, a city, a country and even the whole region
• From a development perspective, therefore, disaster risk reduction is vital for building a more equitable and sustainable future
• Making investments in prevention and preparedness, including through civil defense exercises, is a necessary part of systematic efforts to increase resilience to disaster
• A disaster risk reduction approach helps us consider our emergency response activities in light of existing and new disaster risks
• DRR approaches and tools will prevent relief work from rebuilding the vulnerabilities that made people prone to similar disasters
• It helps us identify and map local capacities to cope with these hazards
• Ultimately, the DRR approach helps us conduct effective disaster response while reducing risks that similar disasters will reoccur
• It also ensures that our emergency response does no harm by replacing or reinstating critical vulnerabilities