Multi Hazards Case Study

• Republic of the Philippines


  • Capital: Manila
  • Population: 104 million
  • Area: 300,000 sq km
  • Major languages: Filipino, English
  • Major religion: Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 66 years (men), 73 years (women)
  • GNI per Capita (PPP): $9,540
  • HDI value for 2018: 0.712 (high human development category, 106 out of 189 countries and territories)
  • HDI value increased by 20.6% from 1990 to 2018
• The Philippines is a country in transition - an emerging economy with lots of economic activity
• Tectonic setting and hazards


  • Shallow focus earthquakes
  • Liquefaction
  • Ground shaking
  • Surface rupture
  • Landslides
• Plate margins


  Convergent (destructive) margins
• Seismic hazards linked to convergent margins


  • Primary: Earthquakes (shallow, intermediate and deep focus)
  • Secondary: Tsunamis
• Volcanoes in this tectonic setting


  • Lava is very sticky and viscous
  • Volcanoes are very gassy and explosive
  • Eruptions are very violent
  • Usually ash-cinder volcanoes e.g. Mayon
• Nature of volcanic eruptions


  • Very gassy and violent eruptions
  • Accompanied by pyroclastic flows with glowing cloud
• Secondary hazards from volcanic eruptions


  • Lahars/mudflows
  • Tsunamis
  • Ash flow/fall
  • Fires
• Climate of the Philippines


  • Tropical rainforest, tropical monsoon, tropical savanna, humid subtropical and oceanic
  • Characterized by relatively high temperature, oppressive humidity and plenty of rainfall
  • Two seasons: wet and dry
• Tropical storms in the Philippines


  • Geographical location produces heavy rain and flooding of large areas, also strong winds
  • The Western Pacific Ocean region (where typhoons and tropical cyclones are formed) is located east of the Philippines
  • Trade winds travel from east to west, giving the storms time to gather water evaporation
• Hazards associated with tropical storms


  • Strong winds
  • Heavy rains
  • Storm surges
  • Flooding
  • Landslides
  • Tornadoes
• Hazards associated with steep slopes/mountainous regions


  • Landslides
  • Rockfall
  • Mudflows
  • Damage to roads
  • Loss of property or land at the top of the slope
  • Damage to homes below
• Hazards associated with low-lying coastal areas and small islands


  • Susceptible to flooding and storm surges caused by earthquakes and tsunamis
• Threat from different hazards


  • Earthquakes: Tsunamis, ground shaking causing building collapse, ground rupturing, liquefaction
  • Volcanic activity: Violent eruptions, lahars (mudflows)
  • Tropical storms: Flooding, landslides, lahars
• Pie charts show that storms are the most frequent, most costly and most deadly hazards in the Philippines
• Many hazards are linked

  Storms can cause flooding, earthquakes can cause landslides, the intensity of one hazard can exacerbate another
• Relative threat from climatic and tectonic hazards


  • Climatic hazards (typhoons, flooding, storm surges) are a bigger threat - cover a greater area, have more significant economic impact, harder to manage as recovery is interrupted by new events
  • Tectonic hazards (earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions) are less frequent but bring greater threat when they occur due to less awareness and preparation
• Factors increasing risk and vulnerability in the Philippines


  • High population density and distribution near hazard zones
  • Wealth levels - poorer populations lack resources for education, warning systems, evacuation
  • Land use change - deforestation increases flood risk
• National government strategies/actions for hazard management


  • Raising awareness, enforcing building codes, improving emergency training
  • Emphasis on post-disaster relief and short-term preparedness
  • Ignoring warnings about hazardous areas due to electoral considerations
• Local government actions for hazard management


  • Enforcing building codes, improving emergency training, distributing disaster funds
  • Limited resources and poor distribution of funds
  • Calamity fund ran dry before major events
• External organisation actions for hazard management


  • National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council, Philippines Disaster Resilience Foundation - engaging public and private sectors
  • Red Cross - community-level programmes to reduce disaster impacts
  • Aid agencies - providing shelter, health, education support after disasters
• Community/individual responses


  • Greater understanding of events and warning systems
  • Fatalistic attitude, accepting losses as part of living in the area
  • Working with Red Cross support
• Human qualities


  • Resilience - Filipinos are seen as resilient, but also fatalistic due to lack of alternatives
  • Adaptation - land use mapping, training local volunteers
  • Mitigation - emergency shelters, sea walls, clean water supplies, land use planning
• The government has some of the best risk-education laws in the world, but many are not enforced
• Some people believe that the earthquake could have been prevented if proper building codes had been enforced.