Disasters can be caused by man-made

sources, the most frequent ones come from

DISASTER &
natural hazard events such as typhoons,
HAZARD
earthquakes, volcanic eruption, flooding and
storm surge, among others.
Disaster a serious disruption of the These natural hazards are not equal to
functioning of a community or a society disasters.
involving widespread human, material,
economic or environmental losses and They do not have to be disasters. However,
impacts, which exceeds the ability of the we are all familiar with the impacts to lives
affected community or society to cope using and assets of these various natural hazards.
its own resources. Once they hit exposed and vulnerable
communities, they become disasters, which
Disaster is triggered "by natural or can result to massive death, destruction,
manmade events wherein communities displacement and diseases. Disaster has
experience severe danger and incur loss of become a global issue.
lives and properties causing disruption to
their social structure and to all or some of Disaster happens when there is a serious
the affected communities' essential disruption of the functioning of a community
functions". or a society causing widespread human,
material, economic, or environmental losses
Once disasters occur, there could be which exceed the ability of the affected
massive displacement, disruption, death, community or society to cope using its own
diseases, destruction and economic resources.
dislocation. There are disaster risk factors
that can either aggravate or mitigate the Disaster risk is the potential disaster losses
impacts of disasters. in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets
and services, which could occur to a
PHILIPPINES particular community or a society over some
● The Philippines is one of the most specified future time period. Disaster Risk
at-risk to disasters due to its comprises different types of potential losses
geographical location and which are often difficult to quantify.
socio-economic conditions.
● Disaster risk refers to potential
● The country is strategically situated losses, disaster is the realization of
in the path of turbulent and that potential.
destructive cyclones in the Pacific, ● Disaster is the outcome of
and the "Ring of Fire". As such, continuously present conditions of
risk
● host to more than 20 tropical
cyclonesp a year, daily perceptible
and imperceptible earthquakes, and
more than 20 active volcanoes.
Factors that are essential in determining climate or impact of extreme climatic
disaster risk include the severity and events.
magnitude of a hazard, the extent of the
vulnerability of the exposed elements-at-risk
and the capacity of the affected populace. Vulnerability: the characteristics and
circumstances of a community, system or
asset that make it susceptible to the
damaging effects of a hazard.
Disaster Risk = Exposure to natural or
man-made hazards x
Vulnerability comprises negative conditions
vulnerability/Capacity
determined by physical, social, economic,
and environmental factors or processes,
which increase the susceptibility of a
Hazard is the probability of occurrence of an community, system or asset to the impact of
event at a certain magnitude, which has the hazards.
potential to harm anything that happens to
be along its way. Vulnerability is the relationship between the
severity of hazard impact and the degree of
Hazard: A dangerous phenomenon, damage caused to each element at-risk.
substance, human activity or condition that
may cause loss of life, injury or other health Elements at-risk are the people, properties,
impacts, property damage, loss of livelihood and private and public services,
livelihoods and services, social and economic and social activities and networks
economic disruption, or environmental that are potentially threatened by a harmful
damage. event. They are affected differently by
hazards of different severity. Understanding
Hazards arise from a variety of sources: the elements at risk exposed to each type of
● those that originate from nature such hazard is the first step in reducing
as geological (earthquake, volcanic vulnerability. Examples of vulnerability
eruption), hydrological (floods, include poor housing design and
drought) and hydro meteorological; construction, which is
predisposed to be damaged by an
● those that results from man's earthquake hazard and weak houses
activities such as armed political located near the seashore without
conflict, fire, oil spill, biological protection, which is prone to be swept away
(epidemics) and technological by a tsunami. Who and what are affected
(industrial accidents); and, during disasters?

● those that arise from the ● People

combination of both natural and ● Livelihood
man-made sources such as ● Properties
environmental related disasters for ● Jobs, Economic Activities,
example the effects of changing ● Facilities
● Social Services
 ● Environment

● Physical factors would pertain to

Capacity the combination of all the tangible objects or infrastructure, like
strengths, attributes and resources available the availability of fire exits, or the
within a community, society or organization sturdiness of the building, or the
that can be used to achieve agreed goals. presence or absence of objects that
can harm you or help you, etc.
Capacities Are those positive resources and
abilities which are helpful to individuals, ● Psychological factors include state
families and community in mitigating, of mental capacity and health (e.g.
preparing for, responding to and recovering are we dealing with babies? Kids?
from the hazard impact. Capacities can also Adults?People with special needs?),
be expressed in terms of physical, social, perception of self(e.g.
economic and environmental factors or self-assessment of capability to
processes, as with the vulnerability. respond to disasters, fear), etc.

To summarize, disaster is a result of the ● Socio-cultural factors include

combination of the following: religion, social status, traditions,
perception by society, etc.
● the occurrence of a high magnitude
hazard ● Economic factors include assets and
● the exposure of the elements-at-risk liabilities, Income, economic class,
to a natural, man-made or an etc.
environmental hazard;
● the prevailing conditions of ● Political factors include government
vulnerability; and, structure, diplomatic issues, etc.
● the insufficient capacity of the
population, government and system ● Biological factors include flora and
to reduce or cope with the potential fauna in environment, health,
negative consequences, using their diseases, etc..
own resources.

What are the effects of disasters?

What are different risk factors underlying
disasters? Disasters are emergencies that cannot be
handled by those affected communities who
Risk factors vary. Aside from the major experience severe danger and incur loss of
disaster risk factors (hazard, exposure to lives and properties causing disruption in its
hazards, vulnerability, capacity)previously social structure and curtailment of the
discussed, there are other risk factors fulfillment of all or some of the affected
observed and suggested. These risk factors community's essential functions. Thus, they
can either intensify or lessen the effects of would need external assistance.
hazards.
 disasters to certain sectors of population at
Disaster happens due to the failure to a given situation. The effects of disaster to
foresee or anticipate the magnitude and the the population varies, to some it could be
timing of the impending hazard. Disaster devastating.
Impacts may include loss of life, injury,
disease and other negative effects on How and when a hazard event becomes
human physical, mental and social a disaster?
wellbeing, together with damage to property,
destruction of assets, loss of services, Hazards need not be disasters.
social and economic disruption and Unfortunately some become disasters due
environmental degradation.Communities to various reasons:
experienced severe danger and dislocation,
loss of crops and shortage of water. ● The magnitude and intensity of a
Disasters have adverse effects on the hazard
economy of the nation, their impacts may
result in widespread environmental and ● The level of exposure of the
property damages. elements at risk - When natural
hazards like typhoons, earthquakes
Other examples of specific effects of and volcanic eruption hit exposed
disaster: elements at risk, then chances are
that these hazards would result to
● Adverse impact to health: includes incalculable damage to people and
trauma, injuries, psychological and assets.
emotional problems, epidemic and
indigenous diseases ● The vulnerability of the population -
The situation of the elements at risk
● Disruption of lifelines such as is aggravated by grinding
electricity, water and communication poverty, environmental degradation,
facilities. natural resources depletion and poor
governance. Indiscriminate mining
● Damage to critical facilities such as and logging intensify the already
transportation, hospitals, basic worsening situation of the people
services and security. located in marginal lands. These are
contributory factors to the condition
● Curtailment of economic activities. of vulnerability, which is a big
influence or recipe for a disaster.
● Further marginalization of the poor. Negligence, greed and negative
attitude also exacerbate the
vulnerability condition.
Some hazards interact with vulnerable
population living in an exposed location,
with limited resources and little capacity.
Therefore, disaster occurs. Various risk
factors contribute to increasing the impact of
 ● The level of capacity and resources ● Integrated, community-based, socio
of the affected population. There is a cultural, environmental,
pronounced relationship between developmental perspectives
the country's socio economic
condition and the ability of the
population to prepare for and
confront disasters. Because of
poverty, the people have no
sufficient resources to utilize to W3 EXPOSURE & VULNERABILITY
protect their communities and assets
before a calamity. Disaster risk is a complex interaction of a
hazard threat, exposed elements and
vulnerabilities. Without exposure and
Locations exposed to hazardous events: vulnerability, there would be no disaster.
While hazards are considered as triggering
LOCATIONS: HAZARDS factors to disasters, vulnerabilities are
present in a community or society even
Within or near a Earthquakes before the disaster happened.
fault line
Pyroclastic flow,
Close or within the lava and lahar At the local and community level, Disaster
danger zone flows Risk is also expressed as a function
-volcano (hazard, exposure, vulnerability, capacity) or
simply,
Coastal areas Tsunami, storm
surge, Sea level
rise
Disaster Risk = Hazard x Exposure x
River banks Flooding, river Vulnerability over Capacity
erosion

Mountain slopes Landslides,

mudslides
Disaster risk is easily understood as the
Cities Pollution, Fire
likelihood of a particular hazard occurring
and its probable damaging consequences to
people and property.
Various approaches or perspectives in
analyzing disasters: Hazards are considered as the triggering
factor for a disaster, exposure, vulnerability
● Natural or physical science, and capacity are present in the community
economic, psychological, political or society even before the disaster
perspectives happened.

The bigger the exposure and vulnerability,

the bigger the disaster risk (DR). Emphasis
is given to capacity since increasing
capacity of families, the community and
society has the positive result of reducing
disaster risk (dr).
Low capacity means their inability to protect
DISASTER RISK
against or cope with the damaging effects of
hazards.
Hazard

● Typhoons
Hazard: a dangerous phenomenon,
● Floods
substance, human activity or condition that
● Earthquakes
may cause loss of life, injury or other health
● Fire
impacts, property damage, loss of livelihood
● Epidemics
and services, social and economic
● Armed conflict
disruption, or environmental damage.

Exposure: the degree to which the elements

Vulnerability and Capacity
at risk are likely to experience hazard
● Poverty
events of different magnitudes
● Disabilities
● Poor Infrastructures
Vulnerability: the characteristics and
● Poor Governance Robust
circumstances of a community, system or
● Overexploited
asset that make it susceptible to the
● Degraded Environment
damaging effects of a hazard. Vulnerability
● Wise Use of Resources
may arise from various physical, social,
● Robust
economic, and environmental factors such
● Infrastructure
as poor design, and construction of
● Strong and Good Governance
buildings, inadequate protection of assets,
lack of public information. and awareness,
limited official recognition of risks and
Exposure
preparedness measures, and disregard for
● Dense population
wise environmental management.
● Living in high risk area
Capacity: a combination of all strengths and
resources available within a community,
What drives exposure?
society or organization that can reduce the
level of risk, or effects of a disaster.
● Concentration of people and
Capacity may include infrastructure and
economic assets in hazard prone
physical means, institutions, societal coping
areas through population growth,
abilities, as well as human knowledge, skills
migration especially from rural areas
and collective attributes such as social
to the urban areas, urbanization and
relationships, leadership and management.
economic development.
 ● Many hazard prone areas, such as How can exposure be measured?
flood plains, coastlines, and volcanic Community based

slopes attract economic and urban

development because they offer ● Usually starts with mapping of
economic benefits and higher level houses (specifically pinpointing
social services. These may also where there are people with
have cultural and religious disabilities, aged, children and other
significance to the people who live persons with special needs),
there. community infrastructure and
facilities, livelihoods
● As more people and assets become
concentrated in cities, disaster risk ● Inventory of elements at risk for
also becomes concentrated in these particular hazards using Elements at
areas. Risk also spreads as cities Risk Matrix on the next page.
expand and economic and urban
development transforms previously
sparsely populated areas.

● There is a global trend of increasing

value of exposed economic assets
which may increase disaster risk to
dangerous levels.

How can exposure be measured?

Technical

● Measuring exposure is done through

exposure modeling using statistical
and Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) methodologies.
Number of people living in a specific
area threatened by a particular
hazard is usually used as an
indicator for physical exposure since
this data is the most accessible data.

● For a more comprehensive

measurement, an inventory of
building stock and critical
infrastructure as well as economic
activities and assets is included in
the exposure database.