UNDERSTANDING

DISASTER AND RISK

REDUCTION
DISASTER, HAZARDS, VULNERABILITY,
CAPACITY, EXPOSURE, AND DISASTER
RISK
WHAT IS A DISASTER?
• An event which causes widespread damage, injury, and loss of lives
• a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning of a
community or society and causes human, material, and economic or
environmental losses that exceed the community’s or society’s ability
to cope using its own resources.
• Disasters occur when the negative effects of the hazards are not well-
managed.
• Though often caused by nature, disasters can have human origins. In
the Philippines, some of the disasters that occur are tropical cyclones,
earthquakes, fires, and landslides that can result in flooded roads,
fallen buildings, and damaged houses. Climate change may increase
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the number and intensity of disasters in the future.
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DISASTER RISK AND ELEMENTS AT RISK

Disaster, Hazard, Vulnerability, Capacity,

Risk and Disaster.

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 HAZARD
Any phenomenon,
substance, or situation,
which has the potential to
cause disruption or damage
to infrastructure and
services, people, their
property, and their
environment.
TYPES OF HAZARD
Hazards or threats can be classified into three natural, Human-made or the combination of both.

NATURAL HAZARDS - Natural phenomena that pose threats or cause negative impacts to
people and property Examples are the following : Typhoon, storm surge, flash flood/flood,
earthquake, tsunami, volcanic eruption, lahar flows, drought, red tide, pestilence, and fire

HUMAN MADE - Human-made hazards include civil conflict, displacement due to development
projects, environmental degradation, industrial technological hazards like leakage of toxic waste,
oil spill, fish kis, nuclear gaseous, chemical contamination, famine, drought, fires, and flood

COMBINATION OR SOCIONATURAL HAZARDS - Flooding and drought can fall under this
category if these are due to deforestation

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DISASTER OFTEN FOLLOWS NATURAL HAZARDS.

NATURAL HAZARDS ARE NATURALLY OCCURRING PHYSICAL PHENOMENA CAUSED

EITHER BY RAPID OR SLOW ONSET EVENTS WHICH CAN BE:

a) geophysical (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and volcanic

activity),
b) hydrological (avalanches and floods),
c) climatological (extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires),
d) meteorological (cyclones and storms/wave surges) or
e) biological (disease epidemics and insect/animal plagues)

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Technological or man-made hazards are events that are caused by humans and occur in
or close to human settlements which includes environmental degradation, pollution
and accidents.

These hazards can be:

1. complex emergencies/conflicts
2. famine
3. displaced populations
4. industrial and transport accidents and transport
accidents

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 VULNERABI
LITY
A concept which describes
factors or constraints of an
economic, social, physical,
or geographic nature, which
reduces the ability of a
community to prepare for
and cope with the impact of
hazards.
VULNERABILITY REFERS TO THE NATURAL TENDENCY OF EXPOSED ELEMENTS
SUCH AS HUMAN BEINGS, THEIR LIVELIHOODS, AND ASSETS TO SUFFER ADVERSE
EFFECTS WHEN IMPACTED BY HAZARD EVENTS. IN OTHER WORDS,

VULNERABILITY IS THE DIMINISHED CAPACITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP TO

ANTICIPATE, COPE WITH, RESIST AND RECOVER FROM THE IMPACT OF A NATURAL
OR MAN-MADE HAZARD.

VULNERABILITY IS MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH POVERTY, BUT IT CAN ALSO

ARISE WHEN PEOPLE ARE ISOLATED, INSECURE AND DEFENSELESS IN THE FACE OF
RISK, SHOCK OR STRESS.
A DISASTER OCCURS WHEN A HAZARD IMPACTS ON VULNERABLE ELEMENTS LIKE
ASSETS.

(VULNERABILITY+ HAZARD) / CAPACITY = DISASTER

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THE THREE VULNERABLE SECTORS

1. Most Vulnerable Sector -They are the community members whose capacities
are low and not sufficient to withstand and overcome the damaging and
adverse effects of disasters.
2. Less Vulnerable Sector- They are the community members whose capacities
start from their own ability to acquire material resources, skills, and pieces of
training, and position in society. Their roles are higher than those in the
vulnerable sector to overcome the adverse effects of disasters.
3. Not Vulnerable Sector- This is the sector in society having a high position in
the community.

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CATEGORIES OF VULNERABILITY
ACCORDING TO ANDERSON AND WOODROW (1990), THERE ARE
THREE (3) AREAS OF VULNERABILITY, REFERRING TO THE
FOLLOWING:

1. Physical / Material Vulnerability

2. Social / Organizational Vulnerability

3. Attitudinal / Motivational Vulnerability

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 EXPOSURE
refers to the inventory of
elements in an area in which
hazard events may occur.
Hence, if population and
economic resources were not
located in (exposed to)
potentially dangerous
settings, no problem of
disaster risk would exist.
• While the literature and common usage often mistakenly conflate
exposure and vulnerability, they are distinct. Exposure is a necessary,
but not sufficient, determinant of risk.

• It is possible to be exposed but not vulnerable (for example by living

in a floodplain but having sufficient means to modify building structure
and behavior to mitigate potential loss). However, to be vulnerable to an
extreme event, it is necessary to also be exposed. Land use and territorial
planning are key factors in risk reduction.

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 RISK
The probability that
negative consequences
may arise when hazards
interact with vulnerable
areas, people, property,
and the environment.
• Risk is the anticipated or potential consequences of a specific hazard
interacting with a specific community at a specific time.

• Risk are a combination of probability (the likelihood of a hazard occurring)

and of the consequences or outcomes for the community if exposed to the
hazard.

• Risk results from the interaction of the three functions namely hazard,
vulnerability, and exposure.

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 DISASTER
RISK
is the chance or
likelihood of suffering
harm and loss as a result
of a hazardous event. It
closely depends upon the
exposure of a person or a
community to a hazard.
• Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through
systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters.

• Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening, wise management of land and the environment,
and improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events are all examples of
disaster risk reduction.

• According to UNISDR, disaster risk assessment is a participatory process to assess the

hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities of a community. Through hazard assessment, the
likelihood of the occurrence, the severity, and duration of various hazards are determined.

𝑫 𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹 𝒊𝒔𝒌 = 𝑯 𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅 × 𝑽 𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

Capacity
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Elements-at-Risk

What are the elements-at-risk? Is it the right of at-risk people to know about the
risks they face?

The people, properties, systems, or other elements present in hazard zones are
subject to potential losses that can be considered as exposed to risks or elements-
at-risk. Measures of exposure can include the number of people or types of
assets in an area. These can be combined with the specific vulnerability of the
exposed elements to any particular hazard to estimate the quantitative risks
associated with that hazard in the area of interest.

A community is one of the elements-at-risk

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Essential Components in Determining Risk
The following are essential components in the determination of risk, each of which should be separately quantified:

Hazard occurrence probability is the likelihood of experiencing a natural or technological

hazard at a given location or region. Quantifying hazard probability involves assessing not
only the probability of occurrence but the probability of magnitude.

Elements-at-risk. Identifying and making an inventory of people or school buildings or

other elements that would be affected by the hazard if it occurs, and when required,
estimating their economic value.

Vulnerability of the elements-at-risk. Effect on school buildings or schoolchildren or other

elements if they experienced some levels of hazard impact. Vulnerability is the relationship
between the severity of hazard impact and the degree of damage caused. Each element is
affected differently by the hazards of different severity.
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Loss Management
These are the pre- and post disaster actions designed to keep the losses at the minimum in
human, structural, and economic aspects.

Predisaster loss management area activities focusing on reducing the

community vulnerability to hazards. Actions include improving the resistance of
physical structures such as school buildings, developing improved safety plans
for the occupants, and increasing/diversifying the network of social support
mechanisms available to communities in threatened areas.

Postdisaster loss management focuses on improving the emergency response

and broadening the range of support given to victims that include the facilitation
of relief delivery and stimulating a rapid recovery.
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Effects of Disasters

The effects of disasters can be categorized:

1.Human/BioIogical
2.Social Effects of Disasters
3.Physical/Material
4.Psychological

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CAPACITIES
The resources and skills
that people possess, can
develop, mobilize, and
access, which allows
them to have more
control over shaping
their future and coping
with disaster risks.
According to UNISDR (2009), capacity refers to all the strengths, attributes, and resources
available within a community, organization, or society that can be used to achieve an agreed
goal.
Some examples of capacity are:

a. Ownership of land and safe location and construction of a home

b. Adequate income
c. Savings
d. Adequate food sources
e. Local knowledge
f. Family and community support in times of crises
g. Responsive local government
h. Enabling legislation
i. Strong community organizations

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Capacity Development
UNDP (2009) defines capacity development as "the process through
which individuals, organizations, and societies obtain, strengthen, and
maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their development objectives
over time.“

Coping Capacity
It is also essential to understand the community's coping capacity
concerning the disaster. Coping capacity is the ability of people,
organizations, and systems, using available skills and resources, to face
and manage adverse conditions, emergencies, or disasters (UNISDR,
2009).

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Capacity Assessment
is the process to determine how people cope in times of crisis to reduce the
damaging effects of hazards. Through capacity assessment, the community's
coping strategies and resources, which are available, for disaster preparedness,
mitigation, and prevention, are identified.

1. Understanding people's previous experiences with hazards and the coping

strategies they have developed; and

2. Analyzing resources that are available and used by the community to reduce
disaster risk.

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Several tools can be used to ensure the community's participation in capacity assessment.
These include the following:

a. Historical profiles and timelines

b. Seasonal calendar
b. Gendered resource mapping and gendered benefit analysis
c. Livelihood Analysis
d. Institutional and social network analysis
f. Presence of. service delivery institutions, banking organizations, human resources, the
status of media, and availability of disaster preparedness equipment will reflect the
capacity of a community or district; and
g. An inventory of various equipment and human resources in the communities and districts
can be prepared.

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