Disaster Readiness &

Risk Reduction
Prepared by: Ms. Hydra Mae Malintad
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 What is a Disaster?
• is a severe disruption of the functioning of a community
or a society involving widespread human, material,
economic, or environmental losses and impacts, which
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exceeds the ability of the affected community or society
to cope using its resources. - Republic Act (RA) No.
10121
Characteristics of a Disaster Situation
• Disruption
• Widespread c
• Exceeds the ability
 Disruption
▪ Assume that there used to be a
system that provided for the
normal functioning ofc a
community that then ceased
because of an incident. It could
be transportation, trade, school,
delivery of goods or services,
and others.
 Widespread
▪ The extent of disruption matters. It
not only involves a few people but
everyone in the system. c Since
community interaction involves
people, goods, and the environment,
the impacts of disasters are
experienced more enormously.
Exceeds the ability
▪ Think of communities’ capacities based on their existing
and potential resources, including workforce, facilities,
and natural resources. Disasters
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occur if the community
cannot immediately recover and may need assistance
from external sources. This means the community may
need more support to handle the stress from inadequate
or deficient facilities and services.
Exceeds the ability
▪ Think of communities’ capacities based on their existing
and potential resources, including workforce, facilities,
and natural resources. Disasters
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occur if the community
cannot immediately recover and may need assistance
from external sources. This means the community may
need more support to handle the stress from inadequate
or deficient facilities and services.
 Disaster risk
• Disaster risk measures how much property or human lives will be
lost if the disaster proceeds.
• There are many factors to consider in assessing disaster risk:
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• preparedness and the ability of the community to recover from it. Do they
have the facilities to help them adjust to the effects of the disaster? Do
they have contingency plans if something is lost or destroyed? Have the
members of the communities been made aware of the disaster risks, and
what roles will they play if a disaster happens?
 Disaster risk

Another equally important factor is the location

and geographical context. In the Disaster Risk
Reduction in cthe Philippine Status Report 2019, the
Philippines has been ranked 3rd in having the
highest disaster risk worldwide (UNDRR, 2019)
because of its climate, proximity to the Pacific
Ocean, and the Pacific Ring of Fire.
 Disaster risk
• Other risk factors underlying disasters include human activities and man-made structures
and industries. The presence of skyscrapers or heavy industries can pose a higher
disaster risk to one area compared to another void of these structures. Take the case of
the incident in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011, where a magnitude 9.0 earthquake resulted in a
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15.0 m high tsunami. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves produced by undersea earth
movement or undersea volcanic eruptions. Tsunami is the Japanese word for "harbor
wave." The tsunami caused a nuclear accident as the Fukushima Daïchi atomic power
plant was damaged, leading to the contamination of the bodies of water and the
atmosphere. The disaster risk would not have been as devastating if the tsunami
happened somewhere without any chemical industries or power plants.
 2 Categories of Disaster
• Natural Disaster
• Man-made Disaster
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• Natural Disaster
✓ a natural phenomenon caused by natural force

✓ earthquakes, typhoon, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes,

fires, tornados, and extreme temperatures
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✓ They can be classified as rapid onset disasters and those
with progressive onset, such as droughts that lead to
famine.

✓ These events, usually sudden, can have tremendous

effects.
• Man-made Disaster
✓ Disasters caused by man are those in which major direct causes are
identifiable intentional or non-intentional human actions.

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Subdivided into three categories
a. Technological/ industrial disasters
b. Terrorism/ violence
c. Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
❖ Technological/ industrial disasters
- Unregulated industrialization and
inadequate safety standards increase the
risk for industrial disasters.
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EXAMPLE: leaks of hazardous materials;

accidental explosions; bridge or road
collapses, or vehicle collisions; Power
cuts
❖ Terrorism./ Violence
- the threat of terrorism has also increased
due to the spread of technologies involving
nuclear, biological, and chemical agents used
to developc weapons of mass destruction.

EXAMPLE: bombs or explosions; release of

chemical materials; release of biological
agents; release of radioactive agents;
multiple or massive shootings; mutinies
❖ Complex humanitarian emergencies
- “complex emergency” describes the humanitarian emergency
resulting from an international or civil war.
- In such situations, large numbers of people are displaced
from their homes due to the lackc of personal safety and the
disruption of basic infrastructure including food distribution,
water, electricity, and sanitation, or communities are left
stranded and isolated in their own homes unable to access
assistance.
• Complex humanitarian emergencies

EXAMPLE:c conflicts or wars and Genocide

the deliberate killing of a large group of
people, especially those of a particular
ethnic group or nation
 Disasters from Different Perspectives
1. Physical Perspective
2. Psychological Perspective
3. Socio-cultural Perspective
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4. Economic Perspective
5. Political Perspective
6. Biological Perspective
Physical Perspective

➢ Refers to anything visible or tangible,

natural or man-made, affected by a
disaster.
c Alterations or removal of
structures can change the landscape,
zoning, and accessibility of resources
in an area.
Physical Perspective

➢ For instance, a fallen structure

blocking a highway may hamper the
delivery
c of goods and services in the

area. Hence, a detour or a new access

road must be made.
Physical Perspective
➢ Also, the changes in the frequency of
movement of people and vehicles in the
area may eventually affect zoning or the
value cand use of the nearby properties.
Another example is the erosion or
landslide on a mountain caused by ground
shaking, which may change the land use
of an area to be converted from
residential to agricultural land.
Psychological Perspective
➢ The psychological perspective refers to a
person's mental and emotional condition
after witnessing or experiencing the
disaster.c In some studies, the victims who
are affected psychologically are not
limited to those who are physically injured.
This accounts for more than the casualties
and fatalities in total. The period of trauma
is specific to each victim. a disaster.
Psychological Perspective
➢ Any neglect of psychological support could
impair efforts toward a successful
rehabilitation. The Department of Social
Welfarec and Development (DSWD) has
always been active in debriefing and
providing the basic needs of disaster
victims. They empower people and help
them improve their quality of life after a
disaster.
Socio-cultural Perspective
➢ The sociocultural perspective refers to
the response of the people, whether
victims or not, to emergencies based
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on their beliefs, religion, practices, and
instincts. When a victim is confronted
with a disaster, their attitude and
values can influence how they recover.
Socio-cultural Perspective
➢ For example, a tribe may believe that the
disaster is a punishment by their gods. In
this case, if they accept the will of their
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gods, they may not consider any form of
urgency in rectifying the situation. They
may need to be more quick in responding
to instructions for a fast and organized
system of assistance by the government.
Socio-cultural Perspective
➢ Another equally important aspect of the
sociocultural perspective is the degree of
cooperation among community members.
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The level of social support may be
immediately sufficient and available if a
community is cohesive and shares a
common vision for recovery.
Economic Perspective
➢ The economic perspective refers to the
negative changes in a community's
production, distribution, and consumption
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of goods and services. Disaster loss always
affects the economy locally and globally.
The economic consequences of disasters
are usually reflected in GDP growth rates,
indebtedness levels, and fiscal deficits.
Political Perspective
➢ The political perspective refers to the
government's role and obligation in
reducing losses and damage from
disasters
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within its jurisdiction.
Sometimes, this depends on the existing
protocols or ordinances prepared by the
current government. This becomes crucial
because societal inequities create political
prejudice in developing disaster risk
reduction and recovery plans.
Biological Perspective
➢ The biological perspective refers to the
potential infections or contamination
broughtc by infectious diseases that arise
from a lack of proper sanitation and
medication for the affected victims of the
disaster. In the aftermath of a disaster,
injured humans and animals may be
susceptible to infections.
Biological Perspective
➢ The entry and penetration of a virulent
microorganism in a disrupted Ecosystems
become easy as they transfer from one
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victim to another. Such is the case in
crowded places, especially in evacuation
or distribution centers, where viral
transmission happens through dispersal,
direct contact, and other biological agents
such as rodents or roaches.
Biological Perspective
➢ If the medical services and sanitation
facilities are inadequate, the health
conditionc of the disaster victims may
worsen. Ultimately, if a contagion is not
controlled, the population's productivity is
affected, thus affecting the other aspects
of society.
End of Lesson 1!..☺
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L At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
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S a. Demonstrate understanding of the
S concepts of hazards, disasters, and
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O disaster risk.
N b. Explain the nature and effects of disasters.
c. Relate the concept of disaster in daily life.
2 d. Demonstrate understanding of the various
elements that may be exposed to hazards.
 Risk Factors

➢ Risk Factors are processes or conditions, often

development-related, that c
influence the level of
disaster risk by increasing levels of exposure and
vulnerability or reducing capacity.
 Risk Factors

1. Exposure
2. Hazard c

3. Vulnerability
 Risk Factor

1. Exposure - the “elements at

risk cfrom a natural or man-made
hazard event (Quebral, 2016).
Risk Factor

2. Hazard - a potentially dangerous

physicalc occurrence, phenomenon or
human activity that may result in loss
of life or injury, property damage,
social and economic disruption, or
environmental degradation.
 Risk Factor
3. Vulnerability - the condition determined by
physical, social, economic and environmental
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factors or processes, which increase the
susceptibility of a community to the impact of
hazard (Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United nation, FAO 2008).
 The following are also taken into consideration
when risk factors underlying disaster are involved:

1. Severity of exposure
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2. Gender and Family
3. Age
4. Economic status of country
Severity of exposure
➢ which measures those who experience
disaster first-hand which has the highest
risk of developing future mental problems,
followed byc those in contact with the
victims such as rescue workers and health
care practitioners and the lowest risk are
those most distant like those who have
awareness of the disaster only through
news.
 Gender and Family
➢ the female gender suffers more adverse
effects. This worsens when children are
present at home. Marital relationships
are placed
c under strain.

Age
➢ adults in the age range of 40-60 are more stressed after
disasters but in general, children exhibit more stress after
disasters than adults do.
Economic status of country
➢ evidence indicates that severe mental
problems resulting from disasters are
more prevalent in developing countries like
the Philippines.
c Furthermore, it has been
observed that natural disasters tend to
have more adverse effects in developing
countries than do man-caused disasters in
developed countries.
 Factors which underline disasters:
1. Climate Change
2. Environmental Degradation
3. Globalized Economic Development
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4. Poverty and Inequality

5. Poorly planned and Managed Urban Development
6. Weak Governance
7. Geographical Location
 Climate change
➢ The alteration of the world’s climate that we humans are causing
such as burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and other practices
that increase the carbon footprint and concentration of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
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➢ This is in line with the official definition by the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that climate
change is the change that can be attributed “directly or indirectly
to human activity that alters the composition of the global
atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability
observed over comparable time periods”
 Environmental Degradation
➢ changes to the environment can influence the frequency and
intensity of hazards, as well as our exposure and vulnerability to
these hazards. For instance.
➢ It is both a driver and consequence
c of disasters, reducing the
capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological needs.
Over consumption of natural resources results in environmental
degradation.
➢ This leads to increased risk from disasters, and in turn, natural
hazards can further degrade the environment.
 Globalized Economic Development
➢ It results in an increased polarization between the rich and poor
on a global scale. Currently increasing the exposure of assets in
hazard prone areas, globalized economic development provides
an opportunity to build resilience if effectively managed.
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➢ By participating in risk-sensitive development strategies such as
investing in protective infrastructure, environmental
management, and upgrading informal settlements, risk can be
reduced.
➢ Dominance and increase of wealth in certain regions and cities
are expected to have increased hazard exposure (Gencer, 2013).
Poverty and Inequality
➢ Impoverished people are more likely to live in
hazard exposed areas and are less able to
invest in risk-reducing measures.
➢ The lackc of access to insurance and social
protection means that people in poverty are
often forced to use their already limited assets
to buffer disaster losses, which drives them into
further poverty. Poverty is therefore both a
cause and consequence of disaster risk (Wisner
et al., 2004.
Poorly planned and Managed Urban Development
➢ People, poverty, and disaster risk are
increasingly concentrated in cities.
➢ The growing rate of urbanization and the
increasec in population density (in cities) can
lead to creation of risk, especially when
urbanization is rapid, poorly planned and
occurring in a context of widespread poverty.
Growing concentrations of people and
economic activities in many cities are seen to
overlap with areas of high-risk exposure.
Weak Governance

➢ weak governance zones are investment

environments in which public sector
actors are unable or unwilling to assume
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their roles and responsibilities in
protecting rights, providing basic services
and public services.
Geographical Location

➢ weak governance zones are

investment environments in which
public
c sector actors are unable or
unwilling to assume their roles and
responsibilities in protecting rights,
providing basic services and public
services.
End of Lesson 2!..☺
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