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The Basic Concepts of Disaster and Disaster Risk • Risk. The probability that negative consequences may arise when
hazards interact with vulnerable areas, people, property, and the
Table of Contents environment.
• Risk Reduction Measures. These are various activities, projects,
Disaster Risk and Elements-at-Risk 1-3 and programs that the communities may identify after assessing
Disaster Risk 1-3 and analyzing the risks that they face. These measures are
Elements-at-Risk 3 specifically intended to reduce the current risks and prevent future
Community as an Element-at-Risk 3 risks in the community.
Essential Components in Determining 3 • Disaster Risk is the chance or likelihood of suffering harm and
Risk loss as a result of a hazardous event. It closely depends upon the
Loss Management 3 exposure of a person or a community to a hazard. For example,
Effects of Disasters 4-7 people living in low-lying mountainous areas or people living in
Reference 7 quarrying, logging, or mining sites. Disaster risk is also defined as
the probability of harmful consequences or expected losses
Disaster Risk and Elements at Risk (death, injuries, property, livelihoods, economic activity disrupted
How does a risk become a disaster? What are the elements at or environment damaged) resulting from interactions between
risk? natural or human-induced hazards and vulnerable conditions.
This can be expressed as:
Disaster Risk
In understanding disaster risk, it is important to review and 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌 = 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 × 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒔.
understand the following terms: disaster, hazard, vulnerability,
capacity, risk and disaster, and their interrelationship. The output of risk analysis is usually an estimation of the risk
scenarios. The potential disaster losses, in lives, health status,
• Disaster. The. serious disruption of the functioning of society, livelihoods, assets, and services, which could occur to a particular
causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses, community or a society over some specified future time. The definition
which exceed the ability of the affected communities to cope using of disaster risk reflects the concept of disasters as the outcome of
their resources. Disasters occur when the negative effects of the continuously present conditions of risk. Therefore, disaster risk
hazards are not well-managed. comprises different types of potential losses which are often difficult to
• Hazard. Any phenomenon, substance, or situation, which has the quantity. Nevertheless, with the knowledge of the prevailing hazards
potential to cause disruption or damage to infrastructure and and the patterns of population and socioeconomic development,
services, people, their property, and their environment. disaster risks can be assessed and mapped, in broad terms at least
• Capacities. The resources and skills that people possess, can (access it using this link: http://www.unisdr.or/we/inform/terminology).
develop, mobilize, and access, which allows them to have more
control over shaping their future and coping with disaster risks. Risk may also depend on exposure to the consequences of
uncertainty or potential deviations from what is planned or expected
• Vulnerability. A concept which describes factors or constraints of
an economic, social, physical, or geographic nature, which disruption to everyday life following the formula:
reduces the ability of a community to prepare for and cope with
the impact of hazards. 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌 = 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 × 𝑳𝒐𝒔𝒔.

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Disaster risk can be expressed as a function of hazard × risk. According to UNISDR, disaster risk assessment is a participatory
vulnerability or a function (hazard, exposure, vulnerability). How one process to assess the hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities of a
copes depends on capacity and readiness to respond to an community. Through hazard assessment, the likelihood of the
emergency and crisis. The equation, occurrence, the severity, and duration of various hazards are
determined.
𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌 = 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅 × 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆
× 𝑽𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, The vulnerability assessment identifies what elements are at risk
and the causes of their vulnerable conditions. The households and
emphasizes particularly the physical aspects of vulnerability. groups that are most exposed to a hazard are identified. The
assessment takes into account the physical, geographical, economic,
Risk is the anticipated or potential consequences of a specific social, and political factors that make some people vulnerable to the
hazard interacting with a specific community at a specific time. Risks dangers of a given hazard.
are a combination of probability (the likelihood of a hazard occurring)
and of the consequences or outcomes for the community if exposed In the capacity assessment, the community's resources and
to the hazard. coping strategies are identified. The result of the disaster risk
assessment is a ranking of the disaster risks of the community as the
Risk results from the interaction of the three functions namely basis of planning for risk reduction. After the completion of hazard,
hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. Beyond expressing a possibility vulnerability, and capacity assessment, it would be essential to
of physical harm, it is crucial to recognize that risks are inherent or can conduct a risk analysis. The risk analysis will enable the community
be created or exist within social systems. It is important to consider and the local authorities to understand the potential impact of various
the social contexts in which risks occur and that people do not hazard events. Risk analysis involves the development of risk
necessarily share the same perception of risk and their underlying scenarios based upon the information about hazards, their frequency
causes. Risk is also a function of probability while we would all be and intensity, and the elements-at-risk. A hazard can impact many
highly vulnerable when a large meteor strikes the Earth, the probability elements-at-risk in different manners. During risk analysis we identify
of its occurrence is so low that the relative risk is also low. This what kind of impact a hazard will have on various at-risk elements;
demonstrates that risk is a combination of probability (the likelihood of e.g. people, houses, buildings, roads, schools, etc. It also identifies
a hazard occurring) and of the consequences or outcomes for the the extent of the impact; e.g. death toll, number of injuries, and extent
community and families if exposed to the hazard. At the local and of the damage.
community level, disaster risk is easily understood as the likelihood of
a particular hazard occurrence and its probable damaging Certain communities may be exposed to more than one hazard.
consequences for people and property. The bigger the vulnerability, In such areas, it will be important to identify the potential losses from
the bigger the disaster risk and the bigger the Capacity, the smaller the various kinds of hazards. Different hazards may have a differential
the disaster or, impact on various elements-at-risk. For example, earthquakes can be
more dangerous in terms of killing and harming people than floods.
𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒌 = 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅 × 𝑽𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 − 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 On the other hand, earthquakes have very little impact upon crops,
𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒅 × 𝑽𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 while floods have a very severe impact, depending upon the
= . cultivation season.
𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚

On the other hand, communities shall take into account the As a result of the analysis of risks, risk statements, or risk
disaster risk assessment to lessen the adverse impacts of disaster scenarios can be prepared to indicate the impact upon various at-risk
elements from multiple hazards. Visual risk maps can also be

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produced based on hazard maps with information on the level of the effect of a disaster. It includes precautionary activities by
physical vulnerability. The risk map showing the results of both hazard households, communities, and organizations to react appropriately
and vulnerability analysis is regarded as the most important tool in risk during and following the event.
analysis. In the risk maps, hazard maps are superimposed on maps
of physical aspects of vulnerability. Essential Components in Determining Risk
The following are essential components in the determination of
Knowing the risks and taking actions by identifying, assessing, risk, each of which should be separately quantified:
and monitoring risks will save lives.
• Hazard occurrence probability is the likelihood of experiencing
Elements-at-Risk a natural or technological hazard at a given location or region.
What are the elements-at-risk? Is it the right of at-risk people to Quantifying hazard probability involves assessing not only the
know about the risks they face? probability of occurrence but the probability of magnitude.
• Elements-at-risk. Identifying and making an inventory of people
The people, properties, systems, or other elements present in
or school buildings or other elements that would be affected by
hazard zones are subject to potential losses that can be considered
the hazard if it occurs, and when required, estimating their
as exposed to risks or elements-at-risk. Measures of exposure can economic value.
include the number of people or types of assets in an area. These can
• Vulnerability of the elements-at-risk. Effect on school buildings
be combined with the specific vulnerability of the exposed elements to
or schoolchildren or other elements if they experienced some
any particular hazard to estimate the quantitative risks associated with
levels of hazard impact. Vulnerability is the relationship between
that hazard in the area of interest.
the severity of hazard impact and the degree of damage caused.
Each element is affected differently by the hazards of different
Community as an Element-at-Risk
severity.
A community is one of the elements-at-risk. A community can be
defined geographically (a cluster of households, a small village, or a
Loss Management
neighborhood in a town), people with shared experience (a particular
These are the pre- and postdisaster actions designed to keep the
interest groups, ethnic groups, professional groups, language groups,
losses at the minimum in human, structural, and economic aspects.
particular hazard-exposed groups), by sector (farmers, fisherfolk,
business sector) and can be referred to groups that are affected by
• Predisaster loss management area activities focusing on
and can assist in the mitigation of hazards and reduction of
reducing the community vulnerability to hazards. Actions include
vulnerabilities. If a community is not prepared before, during, and after
improving the resistance of physical structures such as school
a disaster, members of the community will become at risk. If the
buildings, developing improved safety plans for the occupants,
community is familiar with ways of coping and precautionary
and increasing/diversifying the network of social support
measures, then the disruption by a disaster can be reduced (Sampath,
mechanisms available to communities in threatened areas.
2001).
• Postdisaster loss management focuses on improving the
emergency response and broadening the range of support given
In the capacity assessment, the community's resources and to victims that include the facilitation of relief delivery and
coping strategies are identified. The result of the disaster risk stimulating a rapid recovery.
assessment is a ranking of the disaster risks of the community as a
basis of planning for risk reduction. Disaster preparedness covers
activities to enhance the ability to predict, respond to, and cope with

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Effects of Disasters
The effects of disasters can be categorized:

1. Human/BioIogical
During and after disasters, a high incidence of disease within
the community happened. Infectious diseases are the most
usual form of an epidemic disease because of the congested
evacuation areas. It is easier to "infect" and therefore to
suddenly affect the population/evacuees which means they
produce unexpected illness or death.

Human capital accumulation positively affects economic

growth in most circumstances. If the technology embodied in
the physical capital of an economy is sophisticated, then
investment in human capital yields more educated, competent
workers, and workers who can learn and apply new concepts
quickly are more productive than workers who cannot.
Investment in human capital, however, is not a sufficient
condition for economic growth. A country with insufficient
opportunities for workers may not have the physical capital or
types of jobs necessary to justify the investment in human
capital.

Disasters affect human capital accumulation in several ways.

Initially, disasters substantially reduce human capital only if
there is a substantial loss of life. Between 1970 and 2001
(excluding droughts), only three natural disasters resulted in
the deaths of over 100,000 people and only nineteen (19)
natural disasters that resulted in the deaths of over 10,000
people (Arulsamy, 2011).

In the last decades, reports on the effects of disasters have

been increasing. There is a significant effect on long term
indicators as manifested in the Human Development Index.
The data clearly show that the Philippines is one of the top
three countries that are vulnerable to disasters in terms of loss
of people's lives. It is also important to note that the
Philippines was ranked second among 171 countries in terms
of risk level to disasters. According to the Center for Research
of Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), the country is 52.46%

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posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Survivors who suffer

from psychological conditions and disabilities will not be as
productive as they were before the disaster, which could
affect growth if the disasters affect enough people. The effects
of the disasters on the mental state of the people are
important. A depressed, demoralized, and traumatized
population is less productive' than a population who
successfully endured a disaster. Like the case of typhoon
Yolanda survivors. According to the reports of the local
government units in the province of Leyte, the majority of their
youth and children were engaged in alcohol, and drug abuse,
as well as teenage pregnancy, were rampant after the
disaster. This is a manifestation of the postdisaster situation
in October 2015 data revealed by the Leyte Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer-In-Charge.
Children and young people are emotionally disturbed, thus
Source: http://www.cdrc-phil.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2014-Philippine-Disaster-Report.pdf they experience recurrent nightmares, regression in
exposed to natural hazards, which makes it 53.85% developmental achievements, increased dependency on
vulnerable to the impact of disasters. There is 33.35% parents and guardians, decreased appetite, clinging,
susceptibility of a likelihood that the country will suffer great exaggerated startled response, irritability, and school
harm, loss, and disruption in an extreme event, or natural problems.
hazard. The Philippines has 48.17% adaptive capacities for
long-term strategies in dealing with and attempting to address The after-effects of a disaster can disrupt the lives of the
the negative impact of natural hazards and climate change. people.
The country lacks 80.03% coping capacity to minimize the
negative consequences of natural hazards and climate 3. Physical/Material
change through direct action and the resources available. Before the disaster, poor people suffer more from crises than
people who are richer because they have little or no savings,
On the other hand, disaster aggravates urbanization, as it less income or production options, and limited resources.
creates large concentrations of people and physical capital After disasters, the more these people become poorer and
that is potentially exposed to natural hazards. Rapid vulnerable. Damage to physical and material has a significant
urbanizations because of disasters continue to happen in impact on our society. Examples are collapsed buildings,
major cities all over the country. damaged houses, poor evacuation sites, and the like.

2. Social Effects of Disasters 4. Psychological

Disasters affect people first and foremost. Even if the disaster The psychological responses of the survivors can range from
does not kill anyone, emotional and physical effects of the transient mild stress reactions to the more severe and
disaster on the population still harm people well after the prolonged consequences of PTSD. These responses are
actual disaster, Some survivors will likely suffer permanent influenced by the gender, developmental stage, inherent
physical disabilities and psychological conditions, such as resilience, social support, and the level of exposure of the
person to the trauma. Exposure to traumatic and violent

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events results in expressions of generalized fear, anxiety, and • Direct Costs: Physical damage; including that of
depression. productive capital and stocks (industrial plants; standing
crops, inventories), economic infrastructure (roads,
Reports revealed that during the first few weeks and months electricity supply, etc.) and social infrastructure (homes,
after the disaster, survivors are lost and disoriented. Victims schools; hospitals)
suffer from anxiety, despair, grief, severe sleep disturbances, • Indirect Costs: Disruptions to the flow of goods and
and nightmares. Anxieties are manifested in phobias and services lower output from damaged or destroyed assets
obsessions about wind, rain, loud sounds, generalized fears, and infrastructure and the loss of earnings as income-
and other reminders that the disaster could recur. The victim's generating opportunities are affected. Disruption of the
emotional outbursts to feelings of numbness affected their basic services, such as telecommunication or water
routine activities like work and recreation. Extreme effects are supply can have far-reaching implications. The impacts
major depression, nervous breakdown, and a lot of survivors are severe in low-income countries. For example, in 1995
were diagnosed having a psychological disorder. typhoons in the Philippines caused damage of US$ 350
million.
5. Economic
The impact of a natural disaster may also reflect a sense of 6. Environmental Degradation. The effects of climate change
inequalities. During the aftermath of a disaster, the poor who manifest not only in the environment's degradation. Global
suffer from income fluctuations and have limited access to warming also affects energy, agriculture, health, water, and
financial services may be more prone to reduce consumption. marine resources. The downstream effects of climate change
Also, there are some nonpoor or and not prepared or insured would make an already bad situation worse. Extreme changes
against those risks, may fall into the poor category as a in the weather and the rise of carbon dioxide in the
consequence of decapitalization when coping with the atmosphere would reduce the harvests of farmers, cause
hazards or disaster impacts. habitat degradation and species loss, epidemics, and
diseases, kill corals, and disrupt carbonate chemistry making
Moreover, vulnerability to natural disasters is a complex issue, shell and bone formation difficult. Climate change also
as it is determined by the economic structure, the stage of aggravates environmental hazards. In the Philippines,
development, prevailing social and economic conditions, disasters, whether climate-induced or not, add up to the
coping mechanism, risk assessment, frequency and intensity already impoverished situation of the majority of Filipino
of disasters, etc. The impact on the poor could be losing families who are living below the poverty line. The harmful
access to some basic services, reversals in accumulation of effects of climate change and the disasters bear heavily on
physical and human capital, and perhaps an increase in child the most vulnerable or marginalized segments of the
labor, prostitution; and criminal activities. Philippine population, especially the poor farmers and
indigenous communities. Large-scale foreign mining on the
Disaster, extreme poverty, and increasing inequality have other hand results in the destruction of the environment, loss
important consequences in achieving our Sustainable of livelihood, displacement of communities, and cause health
Development Goals or SDGs. Inequality can slow down and complications.
can even hamper development toward the reduction of
poverty and risk reduction.

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7. Political Impacts of Disasters. Disaster represents extreme impacts of disasters and hazards and grim prospects for the future
shocks to the political system of the country, increasing the given its effects. Adverse effects to agriculture and food production,
number of citizen demands while simultaneously reducing the destruction of environment and biodiversity, extinction of plant and
government's response capabilities. The political impact of animal species, war, water shortage, worsened poverty situation,
disaster is less easy to pin down than the direct economic flooding, frequency of extreme weather-related events, and epidemics
impacts of disaster. Political impacts of disaster are often are just some examples of effects of disasters.
determined by pre-disaster political context. Communities or
countries that are devastated by disasters often experience The increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the
significant political transformations soon afterward (e.g. atmosphere has caused the development of a large hole in the ozone
appointment of new DRR officers, new policies, and systems layer, the Earth's protective layer against the intense heat of the sun.
at the national and local level, etc.). Such changes are more Global temperatures have increased significantly over the past few
likely to occur in places with an inequitable distribution of decades causing alterations in weather patterns and melting of
wealth and a history of sociopolitical conflict. Disasters icecaps that subsequently increased sea levels worldwide.
encourage the organization of victims/survivors, highlighting
the commonalities between them, and encourage them to act During the period 1971—2000, the temperature in the Philippines
in interest of the public good, demand for their rights as right- has been observed to have increased by 𝟎. 𝟏𝟒℃. It has also been
bearer and questioned the actions of the duty-bearers. Such observed that mean rainfall and the number of rainy days has
mobilization eventually spills into the political sphere, increased since the 1980s. The effects and impacts of disasters
increases people's voice in the political system and often worldwide and that of the Philippines have already been felt through
leads to a change in the political system or increase the various disaster events in the country. It will continue to be felt in the
political awareness of the general public. In other words, decades to come. Above all, disaster is seen to impact greatly the
disasters strengthen civil society, challenge or change the already vulnerable and poor section of the society. As it is, their coping
existing governance patterns, and thus contribute to a capacities are already very low and further aggravated by the poverty
process of democratization. situation and worsening social crises of social and gender inequality,
insufficiency of social services, and corruption in government.
The Philippines is an archipelago with two pronounced seasons
which are categorized as wet and dry. The month of June starts the Disasters are emergencies that cannot be handled by those
wet season and reaches until February with the rest of the months affected without outside assistance. They are caused by natural or
being the dry season. Typhoons, strong rains, and floods abound man-made events wherein communities experience severe danger
during the wet season along with incidents of landslides. Scorching and incur loss of lives and properties causing disruption to their social
heat is experienced during the dry season as temperatures rise with structure and to all or some of the affected communities' essential
the passing of each month. In some cases, agricultural production is functions. Disasters are inevitable. They are caused by unsustainable
affected as water sources dry up. development that has not taken account the possible hazard impacts
in a particular location. They can be less damaging if the community
The archipelagic characteristic of the country makes coastal areas has a better understanding of locally-experienced hazards and
susceptible to floods and saltwater intrusion due to rising tides from implements preventive or mitigating measures against them.
the seas and ocean. Being in the Western Pacific Basin, the
Philippines is a typhoon path with at least 20 typhoons experienced Reference:
yearly. The content of the report of the Center for Research of Lanada, M.I.B., Melegrito, M.L.F., & Mendoza, D.J. (2016). Building resilient
Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) every year impacted the whole communities: Disaster readiness and risk reduction. Phoenix
world as it is presented a disturbing and alarming state of adverse Publishing House

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