DISASTER- serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving

widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds
the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.
*results to
⁃ death or loss of lives
⁃ collapse of livelihood
⁃ environmental degradation
⁃ damage to properties
⁃ health impacts: physical, emotional, mental/psychosocial
⁃ system disruption
*only termed as disaster if it satisfies the definition (disruption of the functioning of the
community & exceeding its ability to cope with its resources)
*Disasters happen when a community is not able to cope with the damaging effects of a hazard
due to inability to do preventive, mitigating, preparedness, and response actions.
Effects: Environmental, Economic

UNISDR- United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

There is NOTHING NATURAL about disaster. (acc to UNISDR)
*what we have instead are natural hazards

*All disasters are caused by hazards, but not all hazards can cause disasters.

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HAZARDS- a dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause
loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihood and services,
social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
*can also be classified as
⁃ slow-onset: typhoon, drought
⁃ sudden-onset: earthquake, plane crash
*could also be classified as
⁃ primary: earthquake,rain,typhoon
⁃ secondary/sequential: landslide, storm surge, floods

MAN-MADE:
*Biological
⁃ epidemic
⁃ virus (can be both natural and man-made)
*Physical
⁃ collapse of buildings
⁃ accidents
⁃ fire
⁃ bombs
*Technological/industrial
⁃ oil spill
⁃ nuclear waste

NATURAL
*Geologic
⁃ earthquake
⁃ landslide
⁃ mudflow
⁃ volcanic eruption
⁃ tsunami
*Hydro-meteorologic
⁃ hale
⁃ avalanche
⁃ sandstorm
⁃ food
⁃ tornado
⁃ storm surge

SOCIO-NATURAL

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EXPOSURE-the degree or proximity to which the elements at risk are likely to experience
hazard events of different magnitudes
VULNERABILITY-the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system, or asset that
make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard
factors:
⁃ unsafe condition
> physical material
> social-organizational
> motivational-Attitudinal
⁃ unsafe location
CAPACITY - a combination of all strengths and resources available within a community, society
or organisation that can reduce the level of risk, or effects of a disaster

DISASTER RISK = Hazard x Exposure x Vulnerability

Capacity

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UNDERSTANDING HAZARDS
-Effective disaster risk reduction requires the consideration of not just what has occurred but of
what could occur. Most disasters that could happen have not yet happened. UNISDR,2013).

NATURAL (OR PHYSICAL) EVENTS

⁃ are only termed hazards when they have the potential to harm people or cause
property damage , social and economic disruption
⁃ the location of natural hazards primarily depends on natural processes
⁃ RISK DRIVERS: urbanization, environmental degradation, and climate change<—increase
hazard potential of natural events

CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZARDS
⁃ occur at different intensities (or magnitudes) over different time scales. “100-year flood
or storm or quake”
⁃ the longer the return period (the less frequent the hazard) the greater the intensity of
the hazard
⁃ occur at different geographical (spatial) scales
⁃ hazards interact

CAN WE REDUCE HAZARDS?

The adverse impacts of hazards, in particular natural hazards, often cannot be prevented fully,
but their scale or severity can be substantially lessened by various strategies and actions.

STRATEGIES TO REDUCE HAZARD IMPACT

⁃ Mitigation measures include engineering techniques and hazard-resistant construction
as well as improved environmental and social policies and public awareness
⁃ Improving our knowledge of hazards and conducting hazard assessments to locate and
anticipate the occurrence
⁃ Warning systems

UNDERSTANDING EXPOSURE
-The situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production capacities and other tangible
human assets (the elemtents-at-risk) located in hazard-prone areas.
-if a hazard occurs in a area of no exposure, then there is no risk (GFDRR, 2014A)

WHAT DRIVES EXPOSURE?

⁃ People and economic assets become concentrated in areas exposed to hazards through
processes such as population growth, migration, urbanziation and economic development.
⁃ Many hazard prone areas:
⁃ attract economic and urban development
⁃ offer significant economic benefits
⁃ are f cultural or religious significance to the people who live there

STRATEGIES TO REDUCE EXPOSURE

⁃ Reverse the upward trend of economic exposure in high-hazard areas.
 - Hard and difficult decisions and actions to limit or manage the growth in high-hazard
areas.
- Political will
⁃ Land-use planning
⁃ Structural or non-structural methods for preventing or mitigating risk