DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT

Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

Hand-out No. 1 INTRODUCTION TO DRRM Time Frame: 3 hours

Learning Objectives
 Know basic terminology used in DRRM.
 Differentiate hazard from disaster.
 Introduce RA 10121

Content Outline
1. The Four Phases of Disaster Management
2. Basic Concepts, Definition and Terminology
3. Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010

Disaster risk management is a structured approach to manage uncertainty and potential adverse impacts from
a natural hazard event, through a process of risk assessment and the development of strategies and specific
actions to control and reduce risks. It is systematic, institutionalised, and covers both strategic and operational
issues related to reducing vulnerability and exposure to hazards while increasing coping and response capacity.
The purpose of disaster risk management is to prevent, reduce or transfer the adverse effects of hazards. It
comprises prevention, mitigation and preparedness. That is, disaster risk management comprises all measures
and preparations done ahead of a hazardous event (or disaster).

THE FOUR PHASES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Figure 1.1 Disaster Management Cycle.

Phase 1: Mitigation
To prevent future emergencies and take steps to minimize their effects.
The “mitigation” phase occurs before a disaster takes place. Here, an organization will take steps to
protect people and property, while also decreasing risks and consequences from a given disaster
situation. The organization‟s main goal is to reduce vulnerability to disaster impacts (such as property
damage, injuries and loss of life).
Examples of “mitigation” may include conducting a property inspection to discover ways to fortify the
building against damage. The organization may also revise zoning and land-use management to further
prevent or reduce the impact of a disaster.

Phase 2: Preparedness
To take actions ahead of time to be ready for an emergency
The “preparedness” phase also occurs before a disaster takes place. Here, an organization attempts to
understand how a disaster might affect overall productivity and the bottom line. The organization will
also provide appropriate education while putting preparedness measures into place.
Examples of “preparedness” may include hosting training, education, drills, and full-scale exercises on
disaster preparedness. This ensures that stakeholders know what to do in the event of an emergency. It
also includes procuring emergency resources in advance in order to quickly use them during
emergency.

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DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT
Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

Phase 3: Response
To protect people and property in the wake of an emergency, disaster or crisis
The “response” phase occurs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Organizations must focus their
attention on addressing immediate threats to people, property and business. Occupant safety and
wellbeing largely depends on its preparedness levels before disaster strikes.
The most notable example of the “response” phase is to ensure that people are out of harm‟s way. The
organization will then move on to assess damage, implement disaster response plans, triage cleanup
efforts and start resource distribution as necessary.
As the response period progresses, focus will typically shift from immediate emergency issues to
conducting repairs, restoring utilities, re-establishing operations and cleaning up. The organization will
also need to begin planning the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

Phase 4: Recovery
To rebuild after a disaster in an effort to return operations back to normal
The “recovery” phase takes place after a disaster. This phase is the restoration of an organization
following any impacts from a disaster. The main focus is to find out the root cause of the damages and
to develop and implement long-term recovery plans.
An example of “recovery” is creating strategic protocols and action plans to address the most serious
impacts of a disaster. An organization will work to obtain new resources, rebuild or create partnerships,
and implement effective recovery strategies. The organization will also want to take steps to reduce
financial burdens, rebuild damaged structures and reduce vulnerability to future disasters.

Basic Concepts, Definition and Terminology

Capacity refers to the combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within a community,
society or organisation that can be used to achieve agreed goals. Coping capacity is the ability of people,
communities or organisations, using available resources and skills, to face and manage adverse conditions that
potentially could lead to a disaster. That is, coping capacity is the ability of a given community to contain a given
hazard event such that the normal functioning of the community is not disrupted.

Hazard is a phenomenon, condition, situation, event, human activity or substance

that has the potential to cause injury to life or health, damage to property or the
environment, or disruption of livelihoods and social services. An example of a hazard
is earthquake. The potential to cause harm is the hazard. Hazards can be natural or
human-induced. Hazards can originate from diverse sources, including geological,
hydrometeorological, biological, technological or anthropogenic sources.
 Biological hazards arise from organic materials, living organisms (such as disease vectors), toxins and
other bioactive substances. An example is epidemic diseases.
 Geological hazards originate from processes or phenomena internal to the Earth, such as volcanic
eruption and earthquake.
 Hydrometeorological hazards result from atmospheric, hydrological and oceanic processes. Examples
include hurricanes, drought, tornado, and floods. „
 Technological hazards arise from technical or structural failures, industrial conditions and dangerous
procedures.

Vulnerability is the degree to which a system, such as a community, is susceptible and

exposed to the adverse effects of a given hazard. It is a condition that predisposes
individuals, groups, communities or systems to hazard event. Vulnerability depends on
the physical, socio-economic and environmental characteristics and circumstances that
make the target system or community susceptible.

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DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT
Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

Disaster: The concept of disaster and its management have evolved over time. These are some of its definitions:
“a 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.”
“as a calamitous event resulting in loss of life, great human suffering and distress,
and large-scale material damage.”
From the above definitions, four characteristics of disasters can be deduced:
i. Disaster is an outcome of a hazard event
ii. The disaster event has spatial boundaries (such as a community)
iii. The event results in large human and material losses and damages
iv. The affected community is unable to cope with its own resources

Exposure is the nearness of people, properties or communities to a hazard zone in space and time to suffer
potential impacts. Houses and people close to an earthquake zone or at the epicentre are more exposed than
those far away. However, a person living at the epicentre, but was away when an earthquake happened, would
avoid personal injuries or death as opposed to a visitor who was at the premises.

Risk is the probability that a hazard event will occur and cause damages or losses at a given place and time. It is
a combination of the possibility of a hazard happening, the vulnerability of the target system to the hazard and
the scale of damage that can occur. Disaster occurs when a hazardous event results in large scale or
widespread damages or disruptions. Since risk is a probability, it can be calculated from past events. The
relationship between hazard, vulnerability, risk and disaster is conceptualised in Figure 1.1.

Figure 1.2 Conceptual relationships between hazard, vulnerability, risk and disaster.

We can infer from Figure 1.2 that disaster management will involve identification and prioritisation of hazards,
reduction of vulnerability and management of risks in order to reduce or avoid the occurrence and or the effects
of disasters. Remember that a disaster is the outcome of poorly managed risks arising from the interaction of
hazards and vulnerability. Thus, by properly managing risks, disasters can be prevented or reduced. Hazards are
bound to exist, but vulnerability and risks can be reduced and managed.

Disaster risk refers to the scale of potential losses or damages that can affect a target community in the event of
a disaster at a given time in the future. This can be quantified as the losses or damages in terms of lives,
livelihoods, health, properties, facilities and services, among others.

Risk assessment is a systematic approach to identify, quantify or simulate risks associated with hazards and
existing conditions of vulnerability in order to reduce uncertainty. Risks can be identified and quantified as the
product of hazard and vulnerability in a given context. Risks can be simulated by developing different scenarios
of hazard-vulnerability interactions to assess potential damages. This can be done using simulation models.

Risk map identifies the places and structures in a community or geographical zone that might be adversely
affected in the event of a hazard. Risk mapping is the process that leads to the production of a risk map.

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DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT
Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

Disaster risk reduction is a systematic and continuous analysis and redressing of the causal factors of
disasters. It is the first step and key component of disaster (risk) management. It should be deliberate and
proactive; not episodic (occasional or conveniently) and reactionary. Disaster risk reduction efforts and activities
are normally specified in a formal document called disaster risk reduction plan prepared by an appropriate
entity or authority. Disaster risk reduction involves structural and non-structural measures. Structural measures
include the use of physical or engineering solutions (such as ocean wave barriers or earthquake resistant
buildings) to avoid disaster or reduce its impacts. Non-structural measures involve the use of policies, laws,
education and awareness creation, and practices to avoid or reduce the impacts of disaster.

Acceptable risk is the level of loss a society or community considers acceptable given existing social, economic,
political, cultural and technical conditions.

Residual risk is the fraction of risk that remains unmanaged even after installing effective disaster risk reduction
measures and for which emergency response and recovery capacities should be maintained.

Risk transfer is the process of formally or informally shifting the financial consequences of particular risks from
one party to another so that the former will obtain resources from the other party after a disaster occurs, in
exchange for on-going or compensatory social or financial benefits provided to that other party.

Critical facilities refer to physical and technical infrastructure that is vital to the normal functioning of the target
community, system or livelihoods and operational response to adverse circumstances such as disaster. Critical
facilities underpin social services, socio-economic activities and the functioning of people, communities and
organisations. Examples include communication system, transport system, health facilities, water and electricity
supply systems. These facilities need to be protected against disasters and quickly recovered or restored during
and after disasters.

Early warning system is a socio-technical system designed to generate and circulate meaningful warning
information in a timely manner to enable a target system take a proactive response to a hazardous threat in order
to avoid disaster or reduce its impacts.

Emergency (crisis) management (or disaster management) is a comprehensive approach to mobilising and
managing resources, institutions and responsibilities in response to active emergencies (or disaster) to reduce
impacts. It covers all the phases of preparations for response, the response and initial recovery. A crisis is a
threatening situation that requires immediate action. Effective crisis management can prevent a hazardous event
from becoming a disaster or can stop further damages.

Emergency services are specialised agencies that have specific, unambiguous roles and responsibilities to
secure and serve people and property during emergencies. Examples include the Fire Service, the Police
Service, the Integrated Emergency Response (TaRSIER) which plays a central role.

Disaster preparedness consists of the knowledge and capacities of institutions,

communities and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from the
impacts of likely, imminent or active hazard events or conditions. Thus, preparedness is
incomplete if potentially affected people are not aware of the threat of a hazard.
Preparedness is embedded in disaster risk management.

Disaster prevention is the elimination or reduction of the likelihood of occurrence of

natural hazard event, or their adverse impacts. Examples of disaster prevention actions
include flood protection embankments.

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DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT
Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

Disaster mitigation refers to a set of measures to reduce or neutralise the impact of

natural hazards by reducing social, functional, or physical vulnerability.

Disaster response (relief) is the provision of assistance or intervention through the

emergency services during or immediately after a crisis in order to save lives, reduce further impacts on health
and public safety and to meet the basic subsistence needs of affected populations.

Recovery refers to the decisions and actions taken to restore and or improve the predisaster functioning and
living conditions of disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors. It is the
„building back‟ that starts just at the end of the emergency or crisis phase. It focuses not only on physical
reconstruction, but also on the revitalisation of the economy, and the restoration of social and cultural life.

Resilience is the ability of a community or system to resist, absorb, or recover from the effects of hazards in a
timely and efficient manner, preserving or restoring its essential basic structures, functions and identity. It is the
ability of the community to bounce back to normal functioning after suffering a distress from a hazard event.

State of Calamity is a condition involving mass casualty and/or major damages to property, disruption of means
of livelihoods, roads and normal way of life of people in the affected areas as a result of the occurrence of natural
or human-induced hazard.

Rehabilitation are measures that ensure the ability of affected communities/areas to restore their normal level of
functioning by rebuilding livelihood and damaged infrastructures and increasing the communities‟ organizational
capacity.

Damage assessment is the procedure for determining the magnitude of damage caused by a disaster or
emergency event. Damages are normally classified as:
 Severe: the target facility or object cannot be used for its intended purpose. Complete reconstruction is
required.
 Moderate: the target facility or object cannot be used effectively for its intended purpose unless major
repairs are made.
 Light the target facility or object can be used for intended purpose but minor repairs would be
necessary.

PHILIPPINE DISASTER REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT ACT (RA 10121)

This is an act strengthening the Philippine disaster risk reduction and Management system, providing
for the national disaster risk Reduction and management framework and institutionalizing the National disaster
risk reduction and management plan, Appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes.

The Act shifted the policy environment and the way the country deals with disasters from mere
response to preparedness. RA 10121 provides a comprehensive, all-hazard, multi-sectoral, inter-agency, and
community-based approach to disaster risk management through the formulation of the National Disaster Risk
Management Framework.

A National Disaster Risk Management Plan (NDRMP) is being formulated, developed, and implemented
as the master plan that will provide the strategies, organisation, tasks of concerned agencies and local
government units, and other guidelines in dealing with disasters or emergencies. Through this plan, a coherent,
integrated, efficient, and responsive disaster risk management at all levels will hopefully be achieved.

The law also promotes the development of capacities in disaster management at the individual,
organisational, and institutional levels. A very important feature of this law is its call for the mainstreaming of
disaster risk reduction in physical and land-use planning, budget, infrastructure, education, health, environment,
housing, and other sectors.

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DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT
Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

RA 10121 also recognises local risk patterns and trends and decentralisation of resources and
responsibilities and thus encourages the participation of NGOs, private sectors, community-based organisations,
and community members in disaster management. It inhibits the full participation of the Local Government Units
(LGUs) and communities in governance. The approach tends to be 'response-oriented' or 'reactive.' This is
evidenced by the widespread emphasis on post-disaster relief and short-term preparedness, such as forecasting
and evacuation, rather than on mitigation and post- disaster support for economic recovery.

Moreover, the Act mandates the establishment of a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office
(DRRMO) in every province, city and municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Committee (BDRRMC) in every barangay.

The Strategic National Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction for 2009-2019 aims to enhance the
capacities of Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils.

Finally, RA10121 provides for the calamity fund to be used in support of disaster risk reduction or
mitigation, prevention, and preparedness activities for the potential occurrence of disasters and not just for
response, relief, and rehabilitation efforts.

ACTIVITY: Write your answer on a short bondpaper. Only HANDWRITTEN answers will be accepted.

1. Based on the given definition of disaster, does this suggest that if the affected community is able to
cope, disaster cannot be considered to have occurred? Explain your answer.

2. Based on the given definition of disaster, would you consider a house burnt by fire as a disaster event?
Explain.

3. Based on The Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act or RA 10121, what are
i. the remedial measures undertaken during a state of calamity?
ii. the prohibited acts?

Reference:

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2016). Disaster Risk Management Training Manual.

The Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act or RA 10121

Rubric No. 2 Assessing and Grading of Written Reports or Essay

1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0
Criteria/Level Does not meet
Exceeds expectations Meets expectations Needs improvement
expectations
The introduction is The introduction clearly The introduction clearly There is no clear
inviting, states the main states the main topic and states the main topic or introduction of the main
topic and position and position and previews the position but does not topic, position or
Introduction
previews the structure structure for the paper adequately preview the structure of the paper.
(10%)
for the paper. but is not particularly structure of the paper nor is
inviting to the reader. it particularly inviting to the
reader.

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DISASTER RISK AND REDUCTION MANAGEMENT
Hand-out No. 1: Introduction to DRMM

There is a clear, well- Answer is clear, but the Answer is somewhat clear The answer is not clear.
focused answer to the supporting information is but there is a need for more There is a seemingly
Content problem. The answer general. supporting information. random collection of
(50%) stands out and is information which does
supported by detailed not relate at all to the
information. answer.
Organization/ Writing has a Writing has a beginning, Writing is organized but Writing is aimless and
Conclusion compelling opening, an middle and an end. It is sometimes gets off topic. disorganized.
(5%) informative middle and organized but could be
satisfying conclusions. more compelling.
Grammar & Writer makes no errors Writer makes 1-2 errors Writer makes 3-4 errors in Writer makes more than
Spelling in grammar or spelling in grammar or spelling grammar or spelling that 4 errors in grammar or
(5%) that distracts the reader that distract the reader distract the reader from the spelling that distracts
from the content. from this content. content. the reader from the
. content.
Timeliness The output is The output is The output is submitted The output is
(30%) submitted on time. submitted a day after two days to a week after submitted eight days
the set deadline. the set deadline. after the set deadline.
NOTE: Please do not distribute or reproduce any parts of the module without any permission from the
subject instructor. If you have questions and clarification, please contact me thru FB Messenger,
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