Disaster Risk Reduction and Disaster

Risk Reduction Management

UNIT 9
Lesson 1: Disaster Risk Reduction
and
Management

Learning Targets
In this unit, you should be able to:
● Discuss key concepts, principles, and elements of DRR;

● Recognize importance of DRR in one's life;

● Discuss different community-based practices for managing

disaster risk to specific hazards;

● Develop a community preparedness plan; and

● Prepare survival kits and materials for one's family, public

information and advocacy.
 Concept of DRR and
Management

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a process of decreasing

and preventing the risk of disasters.

Risk = Hazard (H) x Vulnerability (V) / Capacity

Hazards are unavoidable, the negative impacts (life

loss, property damage, and the like.) are not. This
requires analysis and management of factors that
increase potential loss.
Political

– A government’s poor will and

commitment to develop better
disaster risk assessment plans
can contribute to a
community’s vulnerability. This
can also be due to the
government’s lack of
resources, infrastructure,
basic services, and
information or education.
Economic

– Vulnerability is directly linked

to poverty. The economic
status of a community
contributes to its capacity to
resist and cope with disasters.
Eradicating poverty and
formulating efficient livelihood
programs can increase a
community’s capacity.
Physical

– This includes the availability

of proper housing and building
materials that can sustain any
form of catastrophe. Poor
physical environment are more
prone to flood, landslides,
typhoons, earthquakes, and
health hazards.
Social

– This includes the education

of a community on disasters
and disaster risk (training and
awareness), culture, beliefs,
religion, or the social well-
being of a community. The
vulnerability increases when a
community lacks
education/information.
 The Process of Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management

Assessment of the following are important in disaster

risk reduction:
1. hazards and risks that pose threats to a given area;
2. degree of harm that could occur to a community
and its environment; and
3. the capacity of a vulnerable community to cope and
recover.
Disaster Risk Reduction
(Pre-event) Process

Prevention
Expresses the intention of a
community to avoid the
potential harm of a
disaster. This includes
proper land use, and
suitable engineering design
to withstand hazards.
Disaster Risk Reduction
(Pre-event) Process

Mitigation
Includes actions and
processes to reduce the
severity of the impacts of
hazards or disaster. This
includes proper
information and community
awareness; and stabilizing
the physical factors of the
community (e.g.
infrastructure).
Disaster Risk Reduction
(Pre-event) Process

Adaptation
Is the adjustment of the
community to actual or
expected effects of
disaster. It can also be a
form of response to
disaster and its harmful
effects, which includes
actions or methods done in
order to turn some impacts
to beneficial opportunities.
Disaster Risk Reduction
(Pre-event) Process

Preparedness
Is done by using
information gathered by
the community, experts,
professionals, and the
government, to increase
capacity of a community.
Disaster Management
(Post-event)

Response
Is the emergency phase of
disaster management. This
includes actions to provide
emergency services and
assistance during or after a
disaster.
Disaster Management
(Post-event)

Recovery
Includes the restoration
and improvement of the
community’s environment;
and efforts aligned with
sustainable development
that aims to reduce or
remove factors that
contribute to disaster risk.
Disaster Management
(Post-event)

Rehabilitation
Is the rapid restoration of
basic services and
functions that will allow the
community to cope right
after a disaster.
Disaster Management
(Post-event)

Reconstruction
Is the medium to long term
repairs done to sustainably
restore critical
infrastructure and services
needed for the normal
functioning of a community
affected by a disaster.
Disaster Reduction and
Management Cycle
Lesson 2: Importance of Disaster Reduction

Disaster risk reduction is important to

build a more sustainable future.
Investing in a more stable and stronger
physical environment (e.g. housing and
infrastructure), disaster risk awareness,
and prevention and preparedness
procedures are means to reduce the
potential harmful effects of disasters.
Components to Consider in Disaster
Risk Reduction.
Lesson 2: Importance of Disaster
Reduction

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia

and the Pacific (UNESCAP) is one of the international
organizations that puts efforts to emphasize the importance
of disaster risk reduction. According to UNESCAP, sustainable
development is the key ingredient in the success of any
disaster risk reduction effort. Sustainable development
ensures that the needs of the community are met without
compromising the needs of the future generations and the
environment. Disaster risk reduction for sustainable
development includes addressing present risks such that it
can be reduced or removed; and avoiding the creation of new
risks.
Lesson 2: Importance of Disaster
Reduction

In order to achieve a sustainable community, the

development plan should be transformative. This means
that the disaster risk reduction plan must be adaptive to
the dynamic needs of the people and the state of the
environment. This also means that there is a need to
harmonize the political, social, economic, and
environmental aspects of the community. These aspects
of the community are the very same factors that can
reduce or increase disaster risk.
Lesson 2: Importance of Disaster
Reduction

Since vulnerability is high in poor communities exposed to hazards, there is a

need to have a tighter integration of
the aspects of the community to
reduce disaster risks. This implies that
disaster risk reduction is an important
component of sustainable
development; and that sustainable
development will result in reduced
disaster risks and higher coping
capacity.
Lesson 3: Community-Based Risk Reduction
Management

Community-based risk reduction management (CBRDM) is a

process where a community develops locally appropriate
strategies for disaster preparedness and management. All
members of the community participate in identifying and
assessing risks, reducing and managing them, and planning for
recovery. Community decision-making is also based on their own
experiences and unique characteristics. Lastly, it builds the
capacity of the community in disaster risk reduction and
management, as well as the resilience of every member, including
vulnerable sectors.
Components in Community-
Based Risk Reduction
Management:

Emergency Plan
In emergency planning, it is
important to establish who to
prioritize during a response based
on the individual’s capacity and
vulnerability. The role of
individuals, rescuers, and the
government in an emergency
event, should be identified.
Emergency planning is the basis
for a community’s Standard
Operating Procedures (SOP) or
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Components in Community-
Based Risk Reduction
Management:

Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring aims to track the steps
done in the mitigation procedures
and the result of post-disaster
actions. This helps the community
to evaluate the compatibility of the
disaster risk reduction plans done
by the government. This also
serves as basis for modifications
for future disaster risk reduction
planning suited to the community
needs.
Components in Community-Based Risk
Reduction Management:

Early Warning Systems

Early warning systems are vital for information
dissemination. This serves as a warning for the
community in an upcoming hazard so that they can
take the necessary precautionary procedures to
reduce the negative impacts of disasters.

Elements of an Active Early Warning

System
1. knowledge of the community about the risks they have;
2. monitoring and forecasting of hazards;
3. dissemination and communication methods; and
4. knowledge and capability of community members to
respond when the warning is delivered.
Components in Community-
Based Risk Reduction
Management:

Survival Kits and Materials

These are supplies needed to be
prepared before a disaster. This
includes materials that are needed
for survival and immediate relief
during and immediately after a
disaster event. Some of the
materials needed for survival kits
are water, ready to eat food that
can last for 72 hours, battery-
operated radios, medicines, etc
Lesson 4: Developing a Community Preparedness
Plan

The Office of Civil Defense developed the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan (NDRRMP) to reduce risks and manage disasters nationally. The
plan serves as a guide for creating safer, resilient communities in the Philippines.
Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction Management can also adapt the plan's
measures to fit their specific needs and capacities.
Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Framework

1. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

Prevention aims to avoid any adverse impacts of catastrophe by creating
plans and procedures before a disaster strikes. An example is land use
regulation such as prohibiting residential use in disaster high-risk zones.
Mitigation refers to reducing the inevitable impacts of disaster. This
includes engineering techniques for hazard-resilient infrastructures and
improved environmental policies and public awareness.

2. Disaster Preparedness
This is the sum of all knowledge and capacities of all stakeholders to
effectively anticipate, respond, and recover from the likely negative
impacts of disasters.

3. Disaster Response
This refers to actions in response to the impacts of disaster that aims to
primarily save lives, and reduce health impacts.

4. Disaster Recovery
Recovery includes rehabilitation, restoration, and improvement of
facilities and living conditions of disaster-affected communities.
Disaster Preparedness in the
Community

Disaster Preparedness is not isolated from

and is in fact a component of Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management (DRRM). Thus,
community efforts to prepare for a potential
disaster event will affect the other
components of DRRM.
Disaster Preparedness in the
Community

A. Community Risks and Vulnerabilities

To develop a preparedness plan,

communities must anticipate potential
risks and possible disaster events
resulting from hazards in the area
including the vulnerable sectors and
sources of vulnerabilities. Anticipated
impacts of disaster include effects on
people, infrastructure, assets, food
supply, and the economy. Previous
disaster experiences can also provide
valuable information for disaster
preparedness.
Disaster Preparedness in the
Community

B. Resources Identification

Demographics of the community as well as

the roles of existing sectors and organizations
should also be known. Aside from people, other
community resources should also be identified
like sources of basic needs and services,
supplies and materials for response,
evacuation, relief, and rehabilitation.
Resources can include local source of
materials and manpower; and external
linkages that can be tapped in emergency
situations.
Disaster Preparedness in the
Community

C. Detailed Planning

Disaster Preparedness involves creating a

detailed Emergency Plan that includes tasks and
roles for community members, Standard
Operating Procedures, and a list of needed
resources. The plan should identify government
agencies and NGOs for rescue, relief, and
recovery efforts. Accessible data on vulnerable
sectors, evacuation centers, fire stations,
hospitals, and service providers outside the
community is crucial during emergencies.
Rescuers from outside the community would
also benefit from the accessibility of this
information. Finally, early warning systems
should also be developed.
Disaster Preparedness in the
Community

D. Implementing Disaster Preparedness

Activities

After creating a detailed plan, educating the

entire community on disaster risk reduction and
preparedness is essential. This can be achieved
through lectures, workshops, and printed
reminders that can also help raise awareness.
The community can also use the emergency
plan as a basis for their household preparedness
plan. Everyone should know the risks, what to do
before, during, and after a disaster. Next, drills
should be practiced to better understand
emergency procedures. Finally monitoring and
evaluation of awareness activities and drills can
improve the plan's adaptation to the local
context.
Lesson 5: Preparedness: Family Safety, Public
Information, and Advocacy

During a disaster, the first 72 hours (3 days) are the most critical. The basic needs of
the community such as food, water, and electricity may not be available. Also, the
access to public safety services like clinics, rescue, and hospitals may also be
unavailable. Thus, individuals of the community should be prepared and self-reliant
to survive for at least 72 hours without assistance.
Emergency Kit
1. Water 3. Tools 5. Personal hygiene kit

2. Food 4. First Aid Kit 6. Important documents/money

Public Awareness and Education

Education and information dissemination are crucial in

disaster preparedness. Individuals and families should be
aware of information sources needed for preparedness,
including those provided by authorities such as PAGASA
and PHIVOLCS who release public information through
various channels. Different government agencies
coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC) of the Philippines,
and also the Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG) who takes charge of implementing
information awareness to local communities. The media
also aids in disaster awareness. Every community
member should actively learn about disaster risks, early
warning systems, and preparedness measures. Families
should participate in community emergency
preparedness drills. The Department of Education
(DepEd) also includes the Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management course (DRRM) in the K-12 program for
senior high school students to equip necessary skills for
surviving a disaster.
Building Capacity Through
Advocacy

You can help build your community’s

preparedness capacity by joining
community-based or school-based volunteer
groups. Being a preparedness volunteer, you
will develop skills in communicating,
coordinating and collaborating with others,
to reach your goals in the community. You
may also be trained as an emergency
responder, or a trainer for other members of
the community. When you volunteer in
disaster preparedness you will be gaining
knowledge and skills, and increase the
coping capacity of your family and
community.