Module 1

Basic Concept of Disaster and Disaster Risk

Objectives: At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. define disaster and disaster risks;

2. differentiate the nature and risks factors underlying disasters;
3. describe the effects of disasters on one’s life;
4. explain how and when an event becomes a disaster;
5. identify areas/locations exposed to hazards that they may lead to disasters;
6. analyze disaster from the different perspectives (physical, psychological, socio-
cultural, economic, political and biological).

Discussion

The Philippines, by virtue of its location, climate, topography, is one of the most
disaster-prone countries in the world (Alampay, 2014). The Philippine land area
measures around 299,764 square kilometers and its coastline is about 36,000
kilometers, known to be one of the longest coastlines in the world ranking at the fourth
spot. Moreover, the Philippines is surrounded by three bodies of water: on the west and
north by the South China Sea; on the east by the Pacific Ocean; and on the south by
the Celebes Sea and the coastal waters of Borneo. The archipelagic nature of the
Philippine coastal and extended swamp areas increases vulnerability to storm surges,
tsunamis and the sea level changes.
 Figure 1 Map of the Philippines

https://scandasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/philippines.jpg

The Philippines is also a part of the Circum-Pacific seismic belt and is positioned
in between two major tectonic plates, the Eurasian and Pacific Plates, which are
responsible for the creation of mountain ranges, islands, volcanoes, earthquakes and
tsunamis. The Philippines encounters an average of 20 earthquakes daily, or 100 to 200
earthquakes annually. In addition, there currently exists more than 300 volcanoes in the
country, and among them are 22 active ones and 36,289 kilometers of its coastline is
highly prone to tsunami.
 The Philippines, consisting of some 7, 107 islands, is located in the western
Pacific Ocean. It is the 73rd-largest country in the world by surface area, but with a
population of some 100 million people, making it the seventh most populous country in
Asia, and the 12 most populous in the world (Wingard, 2013).

By virtue of its geographical location and features, the Philippines is exposed to a

high potential for natural disasters and anthropogenic hazards. In fact, the Philippines is
one of the most hazard-prone countries in the world (Cola, 1993; Delca, 1993; Benson,
1997). Over the years, the country has suffered from an inexhaustible number of deadly
typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural disasters. This is due to its
location along the Ring of Fire, or typhoon belt- a large Pacific Ocean region where
many of Earth’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur (Brandlin & Wingard, 2013).
For the past years, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and floods have been
the most dominant problem of the country. The country has an average of five
noticeable earthquakes per day (Daligdig & Besana, 1993).

Landslides and seismic waves often follow major tectonic events. The
archipelago has 220 volcanoes, eighty five which are active. The volcanic debris that
result from periodic eruptions is mobilized by rainfall during the southwest monsoon and
the resulting mudflow or lahar devastates communities and agricultural lands aroun the
volcanoes, such as in Mt. Pinatubo. The country experiences an average of 19.6
typhoons a year in its area of responsibility. These meteorological events may have a
lower frequency during the El Nino and Southern Oscillation Periods, as many parts of
the country experience severe drought in these intervals (Jose, 1993).

Concept of Disaster

A disaster is a sudden, calamitous event that seriously disrupts the functioning

of a community or society and causes widespread human, material, and economic or
environmental losses and impacts, that exceeds the ability of the affected community to
cope using its own resources. Though often caused by nature, disasters can have
human origins (IFRC and UNISDR).
 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines disaster as “any occurrence that
causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of health and
health services, on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside
the affected community or area.”

In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of

inappropriately managed risks. These risks are the product of a combination of both
hazard/s and vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability will never
become disasters, as in the case of uninhabited regions.

Disaster is an event, man-made or natural, sudden or progressive, causing

widespread human, material, or environmental losses, which exceed the ability of the
affected community to cope using its own resources.

As a result of joining these factors: the exposure to a hazard, the present

conditions of vulnerability, and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with,
the potential negative consequences are minimized. Disaster impacts may include loss
of life, injury, disease and other negative effects on human, physical, mental and social
well-being, together with damage to property, destruction of assets, loss of services,
social and economic disruption and environmental degradation

(http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology)

Concept of Disaster Risk

To determine disaster risks, three aspects need to be present: a hazard,

vulnerability to the hazard, and coping capacity.

A hazard is defined as a dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or

condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage,
loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental
damage, while vulnerability is the characteristics and circumstances of a community,
system, or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. As the
last component, coping capacity for disaster risk reduction refers to the ability of people,
organizations, and systems, using available skills and resources, to face and manage
adverse conditions such as hazards, emergencies, or disasters. Therefore, a disaster
risk is the product of the possible damage caused by a hazard due to the vulnerability
within a community (Dar, 2014).

Moreover, disaster risk is also the potential disaster losses, in lives, health status,
livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur to a particular community or a
society over some specified future time period (UNISDR).

Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks
through the systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of disasters.
Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise
management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness and early
warning for adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction.

Disaster Risk = (Vulnerability + Hazard)/Capacity

Growing exposure and delays in reducing vulnerabilities result in an increased

number of natural disasters and greater levels of loss. To reduce disaster risk, it is
important to reduce the level of vulnerability and to keep exposure as far away from
hazards as possible by relocating populations and property (Asian Disaster Reduction
Center).

Figure 2 Hazard, Exposure and Vulnerability

https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S2212420917300602-gr1.jpg
Types of Disasters

Disasters are broadly divided into two types:

1. Natural disasters are consequences when a natural hazard affects humans

and/or the built environment. Human vulnerability and lack of appropriate
emergency management, leads to financial, environmental, or human impact.
The resulting loss depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist
the disaster-their resilience. This understanding is concentrated in the
formulation: “disasters occur when hazards meet vulnerability.” A natural hazard
will, hence, never result in a natural disaster in areas without vulnerability.
2. Man-made disasters are events that are caused by humans and occur in close
to human settlements according to IFRC. It is the consequence of technological
or human hazards. As with natural hazards, man-made-hazards are events that
have not happened, for instance terrorism. Man-made disasters are examples of
specific cases where man-made hazards have become reality in an event.

Types of Disaster
Natural Man-Made
Typhoons/cyclones Armed conflicts
Floods Industrial and chemical hazards
Flashfloods Road and air accident
Tsunamis Environmental pollution
Volcanic eruptions Sea mishaps/Maritime accidents
Droughts Epidemics (dengue, cholera, etc.)
Earthquakes war
Landslides (natural or human-induced) Explosions
Fires (caused by lightning) Terrorist attack
Heavy rains Oil spill
Pest infestation Garvalanche (garbage avalanche, e.g.
Payatas tragedy)
Tornadoes Fires (caused by faulty wirings,
pyrotechniques, etc.)
Causes of Disaster

1. Geological causes
a. Weak and sensitive material
b. Weathered material
c. Sheared, jointed or fissured material
d. Adversely oriented fractures
e. Contrast permeability
f. Contrast stiffness
2. Physical Causes
a. Intense rainfall/prolonged exceptional rainfall
b. Earthquake/volcanic eruption
3. Morphological causes
a. Tectonic/volcanic uplift
b. Erosion of slope toe
c. Vegetation removal
d. Subterranean erosion (piping)
e. Deposition of load on slope crest
4. Human causes
a. Excavation of the slope or its toe
b. Deposition of load on the slope or crest
c. Drawdown of reservoirs
d. Deforestation
e. Irrigation
f. Mining
g. Artificial vibration
h. Water leakage from utilities
Effects of Disasters

Disasters take a heavy toll on human population and its effects are indeed felt by
everyone from all walks of life. The following are some of the most frequent notable
effects of disasters.

1. Displaced Populations

One of the most immediate effects of natural disasters is population

displacement. When countries are ravaged by earthquakes or other powerful forces of
nature, many people have to abandon their homes and seek shelter in other regions. A
large influx of refugees can disrupt accessibility of health care and education, as well as
food supplies and clean water.

2. Health Risks

Aside from the obvious immediate danger that natural disasters present, the
secondary effects can be just as damaging. Severe flooding can result in stagnant water
that allows breeding of waterborne bacteria and malaria-carrying mosquitos. Without
emergency relief from international aid organizations and others, death toll can rise
even after the immediate danger has passed.

3. Food Scarcity

After natural disasters, food often becomes scarce. Thousands of people around
the world go hungry as a result of destroyed crops and loss of agricultural supplies,
either it happens suddenly in a storm or gradually in a drought. As a result, food prices
rise, reducing families’ purchasing power and increasing the risk of severe malnutrition
or worse. The impacts of hunger following an earthquake, typhoon or hurricane can be
tremendous, causing lifelong damage to children’s development.

4. Emotional Aftershocks

Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for young children. Confronted

with scenes of destruction and the deaths of friends and loved ones, many children
develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious psychological condition
resulting from the extreme trauma. Left untreated, children suffering from PTSD can be
prone to lasting psychological damage and emotional stress.

Guide Questions
1. What are disasters? Why do we have to be aware of them?
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2. Explain the relationship between hazard, exposure, and vulnerability toward

disaster risk.
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Learning Activity
Directions: By group, of 6-7 members, will report in the form of TV Newscast or
Radio broadcast the following topics:

Group 1 = Concept of Disaster

 Group 2= Concept of Disaster Risk

Group 3= Nature of Disasters

Group 4 = Effects of Disasters

Points to Remember in Performing the Activity:

1. Select a leader by group to facilitate the planning for discussion of the assigned
topic.
2. In the form of skit, creatively present assigned topic to simulate TV shows or
news program.
3. Each group is given an allotment of 10-minute presentation.

Rubric in Grading:

Criterion Exemplary Comments Points

Performance
Relevance to the The presentation is
Theme (10 points) centered around
the assigned tasks
and showing
awareness of the
content/concept of
the topic given
(nature and effects
of disaster and
disaster risk)
Creativity (5 points) The presentation is
creatively and
effectively
delivered in
conveying original
ideas
Resourcefulness The presentation
observes
(5 points)
appropriate
improvisation of
props and uses
readily available
 materials that add
up to the overall
quality of the work.
Teamwork The presentation
reflects
(5 points)
complementation of
roles/tasks
between and
among members of
the group.
Total Points

Summary
 Disasters and hazards are inevitable
 (Vulnerability + Hazard)/Capacity=Disaster Risk
 Disasters have become more immense and devastating as an outcome of man’s
irresponsibility
 There are various impacts and effects that disasters bring.