BASIC CONCEPT OF DISASTER

AND DISASTER RISK

ALWAYS FIRST ALWAYS READY ALWAYS THERE

Module I: Basic Concepts of DRR
• Concept of disaster
• Concept of disaster risk
• Nature of disasters
• Effects of disasters
All of these are natural events.
When Does a Natural Event
Become a Hazard?
is a phenomenon that poses threat to people,
structure or economic assets
 WHAT IS A NATURAL HAZARD?
• A natural hazard is a natural event or process
which affects people causing loss of life or
injury, economic damage, disruption to
peoples’ lives or environmental degradation
HOW DOES A HAZARD
BECOME A DISASTER?
How a hazard becomes a disaster?
– Dregg’s model
 WHEN DOES A HAZARD
BECOME A DISASTER?

A disaster happens when

the probable destructive
agent, the hazard, hits a
vulnerable populated area
WHEN DOES A HAZARD
BECOME A DISASTER?
WHEN DOES A HAZARD
BECOME A DISASTER?
Natural hazards are part and parcel of
the Philippine environment, but
disasters happen because human
settlements, infrastructures, people
and economic activities are placed
where hazards happen
 WHAT IS DISASTER RISK?

Disaster risk refers to the

expectation value of deaths,
injuries, and property losses
that would be caused by a
hazard.
 ELEMENTS OF DISASTER RISK
DISASTER RISK = HAZARD x EXPOSURE x VULNERABILITY

• Disaster risk is expressed as a function of

hazard, exposure, and vulnerability
• It seeks to
 express chance of the disaster happening
 quantify the impact
 Disaster Risk Model

Magnitude of the disaster depends on:

• the severity of the natural event (hazard)
• the quantity of exposure of the elements at risk (lives and properties)
• vulnerability level or quality of exposure
 Minimizing Disaster Risk

Risk Reduction Through Reduction of Exposure

and Vulnerability
 Minimizing Disaster Risk
Risk Reduction Through Reduction of
Exposure and Vulnerability

Level of vulnerability and

exposure can be reduced by:
• Keeping people and property away
from hazards
• Relocation must come hand in hand
with mitigation and prevention
measures
 Minimizing Disaster Risk
Why people are resistive to relocation?

• This would mean giving up their homes,

land, and even jobs;
• People tend to turn a blind eye;
• People remain in places previously hit by a
disaster thinking that after a large
magnitude event occurs comes a period
that is safe from another event
• The most vulnerable are the poor who are
forced to live in unsafe places
 RA 10121 Definition of Disaster

…A serious disruption in the functioning of a

society, causing widespread human, material
or environmental losses which exceeds the
ability of the affected society to cope within its’
own resources…
 State of Calamity

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
 Characteristics of Disasters

• Disasters are inherently unexpected

• Disasters cannot be managed through
normal means
• Disasters create demands beyond the
capacity of a government
• Knows no political boundary
• Requires structured and new responding
organizations
 Characteristics of Disasters

• Creates new tasks and more people as

disaster responders
• Renders inutile routine emergency response
equipment and facilities
• Worsens confusion in understanding roles
of peoples and organizations
• Exposes lack of disaster planning, response
and coordination.
 Impacts of Disasters

• Medical effects
• Damage to critical facilities
• Disruption of transportation
• Economic impact
• Global environmental change
• Social and political impact
Among the effects:

Loss of life
Loss of livelihoods
Damage to property
Destruction of infrastructure
Damage to the environment
Financial loss
Diversion of resources
Epidemics
Migration
Displaced people or refugees
Food shortages
Insecurity

The Philippine National Red Cross

End of Module