Lesson 2: Basic Concepts of Disasters - when the demands for action exceeds the

capabilities for response in a crisis

Disasters
- losses exceed the community’s or society’s
- a threat or harm that has a potential to cause
ability to cope
damage to a community
- A disaster happens when the probable
- can strike anywhere, anytime
destructive agent, the HAZARD, hits a
- affects many people vulnerable populated area.

- came from the Ancient Greek pejorative prefix - An event is considered a disaster according to
δυσ-, (dus-), which means "bad," and the assessed cost of repairing or rehabilitating
ἀστήρ(aster), which means "star." = BAD STAR the structures and public infrastructures that
have been damaged or destroyed
- was linked to people’s beliefs and fate (ancient
times) - An event is considered a disaster based on the
amount of income lost from work, livelihood
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk and other economic activities that have been
Reduction stopped or slowed down due to disaster.
- a serious disruption of the functioning of a What is Disaster Risk?
community or a society due to hazardous
events interacting with exposure, vulnerability, - the potential loss of life, injury, or damaged
and capacity, which leads to human, material, assets that could occur to a system, society, or
economic, and environmental impacts community at a specific time

Can cause: - results from the interaction between

exposure, vulnerability, and hazard
- loss of lives
United Nations International Strategy for
- damage to properties Disaster Reduction (UNISDR, 2004):
- destruction of assets An event that causes widespread human,
- injuries material, economic or environmental losses or
impacts that can serious disrupt the functioning
- diseases of a community or a society.
- degradation of the environment 2 Types of Disaster Risk
International Federation of Red Cross 1. Acceptable or Tolerable Risk
- a sudden, catastrophic event that seriously - if potential losses are acceptable or tolerable
disrupts the functioning of a community or a
society (IFRC) 2. Residual Risk

When does a Hazard become a Disaster? - if the risk is not managed even if effective
disaster risk reduction measures exist
- when the HAZARD hits a vulnerable populated
area Characteristics of Disaster Risk

1. Forward-looking
2. Dynamic - fish kill

3. Invisible - floods

4. Unevenly distributed around the Earth Factors that could affect the outcome of
disasters:
5. Emergent and complex
- scope of the impact
Disaster Risk Equation:
- speed of the impact
Disaster Risk =
Hazard x Exposure x Vulnerability - duration of the impact
Capacity
- social preparedness of the community
What is Capacity?
Characteristics of Disasters
- the ability of the community to manage the
1. Inherently unexpected or come quickly with
adverse conditions of disasters by using all their
little or no warning.
available strengths, attributes, and resources
2. Cause widespread death, injury and property
World Risk Report (2021)
damage.
Rank #8 Philippines
3. Cannot be managed through normal means
Rank #1 Vanuatu thus requires immediate and effective
intervention of both national government and
Rank 10# Guatemala
non-government agencies.
World Risk Report (2022)
4. Knows no political boundary.
Rank #1 Philippines
5. Requires restructures and new responding
Rank #10 Pakistan organizations.

Types of Disasters 6. Creates new tasks and requires more people

as disaster responders.
1. Natural Disasters
7. Renders routine emergency response
- devastating outcomes that result from natural equipment and facilities.
hazards
8. Worsens confusion in understanding roles of
- hydrometeorological disasters people and organizations.
- geological disasters 9. Exposes lack of disaster planning, response
- biological disasters and coordination.

2. Anthropogenic Disasters Effects of Disaster

- water contamination 1. Primary Effects

- deforestation - direct situations arising from the disaster itself

3. Socio-Natural Disasters - damage of properties and destruction of

assets (Typhoon Haiyan, Mt. Pinatubo Eruption)
- loss of lives (St. Bernard Landslide, Ormoc City, - are not experiences as a disaster is taking
Leyte) place but can be felt some time after the
disaster occurred
- injuries (earthquake victim, marawi siege)
- permanent closure of many business
- bridge collapsed due to flooding
- a farm hit by drought as a result of El Nino
- downed powerlines after Super Typhoon Rai
(Odette) - almost empty Boracay resorts during the
covid-19 pandemic
- bodies of VOCID-19 victims
- evacuees from Visayas arrived at the Villamor
- Philippine Marine wounded in a gun battle
Airbase after Super Typhoon swept away most
- cows lie dead on the shore of Taal Volcano of their houses
Island
- people walking long distance in Tacloban to
- damaged crops during Tropical Storm Jenny look for food and shelter after Super Typhoon
Haiyan
2. Secondary Effects
- displaced families of Marawi City during the
- situations resulting from the primary effect Marawi Siege crisis that started May 23, 2017
- loss of services - malnutrition in evacuation centers after
- environmental degradation typhoon

- no electricity during and after typhoon - at least 5 people have died of leptospirosis due
to heavy flooding
- city residents collect water from a water
tanker supplied by the government - mental health problems after experiencing
trauma during a disaster
- intermitted or no signal during and after
Typhoon - protestors slam government inaction amid
disasters and pandemic
- pharmacy in Camarines Sur was closed after
Typhoon - former Pres Duterte visits Marawi evacuees in
Marawi City
- Banks temporarily closed during COVID-19
- politicians put their names and pictures on
- Lightning Red Alert in NAIA during a relief goods
thunderstorm
- Economic and Social Disruption
- the province of North Cotabato experienced a
months-long drought due to El Nino - Negative effects on human physical, mental,
and social well-being
- damaged coconut trees in eastern Samar
during the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan - diseases

- forest fire in La Trinidad, Benguet - political impact

3. Tertiary Effects Affected Components:

- People
- Buildings & Infrastructures - US military and aid groups help to bolster
domestic relief program in the Philippines
- Economy
4. Economic perspective
- Environment
- Focuses on the disruption of economic
Perspectives on Disasters
activities in the community
1. Physical perspective
- injuries and deaths, destruction of fixed assets
- visible or tangible materials and infrastructure, disruption in the flow of
goods and services that can affect economic
- altered or removed structures may change the factors such as gross domestic product (GDP)
landscape and accessibility of an area growth rates, indebtedness levels and fiscal
- cracks and fissures on roads may require a deficits
detour or a new road access - the GDP of the Philippines dropped during the
- rebuilding of communities after the Marawi pandemic
Siege - prices of commodities have increased due to
- typhoon Haiyan survivors flee Tacloban the Russian-Ukraine war and the pandemic

2. Psychological perspective 5. Political perspective

- people’s emotional, cognitive or interpersonal - how government services are used to reduce
reactions to difficulties loss or damage by preparing for and preventing
disasters
- Catastrophic events can cause shock, terror,
anxiety, disbelief, nightmares, trauma, social - developing plans and policies relate to disaster
withdrawal or alienation or depression to risk reduction and recovery plans
victims 6. Biological perspective
- a worried and confused look of a resident after - the potential for infectious or communicable
Super Typhoon Haiyan diseases take place
- children suffer emotional scars after Super - virus transmission in evacuation centers
Typhoon Haiyan through dispersal, direct contact and biological
3. Sociocultural perspective agents like rodents

- response of the people, whether victim or not, - a chapel was turned into intensive care unit
to emergency situations and to the kind - doctor assists an elderly woman affected by
assistance they receive taal volcano eruption
- characteristics of affected families such as - cough, colds, and fever are common in
religion, customs, attitudes, beliefs and values evacuation centers, especially in children
can influence their approach to or their
recovery Risk Factors Underlying Disasters

- villagers carry religious statues during a - housing and building development

procession in Eastern Samar
- presence of physical structures prone to
disaster risk

- international framework and system for risk

reduction & prevention