RATIONALE FOR DISASTER

PREVENTION AND LOSS CONTROL

By Group 4
 What is PREVENTION?
• Defined as those actions taken to prevent a
natural phenomenon or potential hazard from
having harmful effects on either people or
economic assets.
 Prevention planning
is based on two issues:
• HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
– identifying the actual threats facing a community

• VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
– evaluating the risk and capacity of a community to
handle the consequences of the disaster
 What is a DISASTER?
• “A disaster can be defined as any occurrence that cause
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”. (W.H.O.)
 What is a DISASTER?
• Commonly encountered disasters:
 Earthquakes
 industrial accidents
 oil-spills
 forest-fires
 terrorist activities
 Types of Disaster
1. Natural Disaster
- occur as the result of action of the natural forces
and tend to be accepted as unfortunate, but
inevitable
- result from forces of climate and geology

Primary Natural Disasters:

Earthquake Tornadoes
Volcanoes Tsunami
Floods
 Types of Disaster
2. Technological or Manmade Disaster
- result from some human activities such as
explosions, fires, the release of toxic chemicals
or radioactive materials, bridge or building
collapse, nuclear reactor accidents, gas,
deforestation, war, etc.
- unpredictable, can spread across geographical
areas, may be unpreventable and may have
limited physical damage but long-term effect
 Other Classifications of
Disaster:
• Sudden-onset disaster
include floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical
storms, volcanic eruptions and landslides. Sudden-
unset disasters occur swiftly and often without
any warning.
 Other Classifications of
Disaster:
• Slow-onset disasters
include droughts, famine, environmental degradation,
deforestation and desertification.
• Industrial/Technological disasters
result from a society’s of industrial and technological
activities that lead to pollution, spillage, explosions,
and fire. They may occur because of poor planning
and from neglect of safety procedures
 Other Classifications of
Disaster:
• Complex emergencies
are usually man-made, with multiple contributing
factors. They often follow wars between states,
internal conflict and increasing terrorist acts.
• Epidemic diseases
are those diseases that normally do not occur in
stable communities but have the potential to
spread under certain conditions.
 Phases of Disaster
1. Pre-emergency phase - the period before the
disaster strikes may be used to assess how often
a particular community is exposed to different
risks and how good is their preparedness.
2. Impact and flight phase- when a disaster strikes.
The hazard (fire, earthquake, floods, etc.) may
trigger the displacement of large number of
people from their homes.
 Phases of Disaster
3. Acute phase- begins immediately after the
impact of the disaster and marked by
intense, often reactive activities by many
humanitarian agencies responding to media
reports of very high death rate (may be 5-60
times the normal death rate).
 Phases of Disaster
4. Post Emergency phase- the population
movement usually slows down. This enables
critical services to be properly established
and maintained.
 Phases of Disaster
5. Repatriation Phase- after the emergency
situation is over, displaced people are expected
to return to their place of origin either on their
own or with the help of relief agencies.
Repatriation may be either forced or voluntary.
6. Rehabilitation phase- once permanent solution
is obtained, the focus shifts from relief to
development. The aim is to help the affected
community become self-reliant.
 Phases of Disaster
Management
 Disaster Preparedness
 Disaster Impact
 Disaster Response
 Rehabilitation
 Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation
 Disaster Preparedness
• Evaluation from past experiences about risk
• Location of disaster prone areas
• Organization of communication, information
and warning system
• Ensuring co-ordination and response
mechanisms
 Disaster Preparedness
• Development of public education programme
• Co-ordination with media
• National and International relations
• Keeping stock of foods, drug and other
essential commodities
 Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation
• A function of emergency management
• Main purpose is to save lives, preserve the
environment and protect properties and economy.

Disaster prevention: Being prepared, providing

immediate response
Mitigation: Provides critical foundation for
emergency
 Disaster Prevention
• Action which this segment is designed to
impede the occurrence of a disaster event
and/or prevent such an occurrence having
harmful effects on communities or key
installations.
 Mitigation
• Action within this segment usually takes the
form of specific programs intended to reduce
the effects of disaster on a nation or a
community.
 Mitigation
• “Primary” Mitigation:
reducing the PRESENCE of the Hazard
reducing Vulnerability

• “Secondary” Mitigation:
reducing the EFFECTS of the Hazard
(Preparedness)
 Principal Objectives of
Mitigation
• S„ ave lives „
• Reduce economic disruption „
• Decrease vulnerability/increase capacity „
• Decrease chance/level of conflict
 Risk Reduction and
Management
• Systematic process of using administrative
decisions, organization, operational skills and
capacities to implement policies, strategies
and coping capacities of the society and
communities.
• It involves the formulation of strategies and
Plans, Programs and Activities (PPAs)
 The Philippine DRRM
• Disaster legislation in the Philippines dates
back in 1978, primarily reactive approach to
disasters, focusing heavily on preparedness
and response.
• The Republic Act No. 10121 was approved on
May 27, 2010, and the Implementing Rules
and Regulations was crafted by the Task Force
RA 10121 headed by the OCD.