DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION

INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER AND DISASTER RISK

DRRR IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY SUBJECT.

1. Educates us about the possible 3. Give us the possible counter 5. DRRR is a practical subject, and
risks we might face in life. actions we can use to guard it will help us, so we won't be
2. Helps us to recognize those risks ourselves from risks. clueless at times of calamities or
when we encounter them in life. 4. Prepares us for the real world certain risks.
that we'll face in life.

PHILIPPINES: A COUNTRY PRONE TO DISASTER

The Philippines is frequently cited as among the top countries that is most at risk for disaster.

WHAT IS A DISASTER?
• A sudden calamitous event. Bringing great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property. (Asian Disaster Preparedness
Center ADPC, 2012).
• A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society that causes distress (U.N).
• Causes widespread human, material, and economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected people to cope using
its own resources.

TYPES OF DISASTER
NATURAL MAN-MADE
• occur due to natural forces. • due to carelessness of humans or mishandling of
• man has hardly any control. dangerous equipment.
• cause enormous loss to life and property.

WHAT IS DISASTER RISK?

The potential disaster losses in lives, health status, livelihood, assets, and services which could occur in a community over a specific time.

DISASTER RISK FACTORS

For you to prevent a disaster from happening, you must first identify the conditions or factors which determines your chances of suffering from a
disaster. These factors make it more likely that those affected will have a more severe or longer-lasting stress reaction after disaster.

RISK
VULNERABILITY EXPOSURE HAZARD
Physical Structures Dangerous phenomenon
Social Population
Economic Agriculture
Environmental Business
Coping capacity Assets
Adaptive capacity

DISASTER RISK FACTORS

Exposure - elements at risk from a natural or manmade hazard event
Hazard - potentially dangerous phenomenon
Vulnerability - the condition determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a
community to the impact of hazard.

FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTER

1. CLIMATE CHANGE - altering the frequency and intensity of hazards events, affecting vulnerability to hazards, and changing exposure
patterns.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION - Negative changes to the environment. Examples: deforestation of slopes often leads to an increase
in landslide hazard and removal of mangroves can increase the damage caused by storm surges.
 3. GLOBALIZED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - resulted in increased polarization between the rich and poor on a global scale, increasing
exposure to hazards as more assets are developed in hazard-prone areas, investing in protective infrastructure, environmental management,
and upgrading informal settlements, risk can be reduced.

4. POVERTY AND INEQUALITY - both a cause and consequence of disaster risk, impoverished people are more likely to live in hazardexposed
areas and are less able to invest in risk-reducing measures.

5. POORLY PLANNED AND MANAGED URBAN DEVELOPMENT - The growing rate of urbanization and the increase in population density
(in cities) can lead to creation of risk, especially when urbanization is rapid, poorly planned and occurring in a context of widespread poverty.

6. WEAK GOVERNANCE - Weak governance happens when public sector actors are unable or unwilling to assume their roles and
responsibilities in protecting rights, providing basic services, public services, and ensuring that public sector management is efficient and
effective.

LEVELS OF DISASTER RISK

High - those that go through the disaster Moderate - those in close contact with the Low - those who only had indirect
themselves. victims. exposure. Ex: news of the severe damage
injury and life threat are the factors that lead
most often to mental health problems

WHY DOES DISASTER RISK MATTER?

Because disasters particularly affect the poorest and most marginalized people, whilst also exacerbating vulnerabilities and social inequalities and
harming economic growth. Women and people of old age suffer more negative effects.

EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTER ON HUMAN LIFE

STRESS REACTIONS after a disaster = trauma. Cause a full range of mental and physical reactions. You may also react to problems that occur after
the event, as well as to triggers or reminders of the trauma.
1. Displaced population
2. Health risks
3. Food scarcity
4. Emotional aftershock

VULNERABILITY AND VULNERABILITY IN DISASTER

VULNERABILITY - The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that makes it susceptible to the damaging effect of a
hazard. VULNERABILITY = Exposure + Resistance + Resilience.

TYPES OF VULNERABILITY:

PHYSICAL - Potential for physical impact on the physical environment, population density levels, remoteness of a settlement, the site, design and
materials used for critical.

SOCIAL - The inability of people, organizations, and societies to withstand adverse impacts to hazards due to characteristics inherent in social
interactions, institutions, and systems of cultural values. Levels of literacy and education, the existence of peace and security, access to basic human
rights, systems of good governance, social equity, positive traditional values, customs, and ideological beliefs

ECONOMIC - Economic status of individuals, communities, and nations. The poorer the country, the more vulnerable to disasters. Example: Philippines
and Japan.

ENVIRONMENTAL - Potential impacts of hazard to the environment. Examples: Natural resource depletion and resource degradation. Deforestation,
burning of fossil fuels, and kaingin affect may cause landslide and flashfloods.

THE PHILIPPINES’ VULNERABILITY

The Philippines’s High Vulnerability is because of the following reasons:
• Location: Pacific typhoon belt – average of 20 typhoons per • Rugged landscape – vulnerable to landslides, mudflows,
year, 5 are destructive. floods, etc.
 • Archipelagic country – many small islands vulnerable to • With poor institutional and social capacity to manage,
flooding. respond, and recover from natural hazard events.
• Longest shoreline in the world at 32,400 km – vulnerable to • High level of poverty.
storm surges. • Aside from typhoon, high risk for volcanic eruptions and
• Agricultural and fishing country. earthquakes

VULNERABLE GROUPS
Why us? Why not others?
There will always be a certain group with a higher level of vulnerability to hazards. These groups are called “special populations” or “populations
at risk.” They are unable to protect themselves in times of emergencies because of their special conditions.

FACTORS OF VULNERABILITY
1. DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS
• Age of population –very young and very old populations
• Distribution of population – Populations may be dispersed differently within the hazard area like those numerous people who live
in the poorer areas.
• Population density – the number of people that might be affected by a disaster.

2. SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
• Education – Earthquake drills can be helpful for individuals to know how to deal with hazard events like the Big One.
• Nature of society
• Wealth – Low-income populations are less likely to be well prepared due to the lack of money to spend for Survival Kit.

3. COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS
• Building codes • Emergency planning
• Communication networks • Scientific monitoring and early warning systems

4. DEALING WITH THE AFTEREFFECTS

• Aid request – Humanitarian aid is necessary • Emergency personnel
during a disaster. It should be fast and efficient. • Insurance cover

HAZARDS: TYPES AND IMPACT

TYPES OF HAZARDS
What is a Hazard and Risk? Any source of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone.

1. NATURAL HAZARDS
• Arise from natural processes in the environment. • e.g., earthquakes, tsunami, landslides, volcanic
eruptions, and floods.
2. QUASI-NATURAL HAZARDS
• arise through the interaction of natural processes • e.g., pollution or desertification, smog, and fog.
and human activities.

3. TECHNOLOGICAL (OR MAN-MADE) HAZARDS

• These arise directly because of human activities. • e.g., accidental release of chemicals, toxic and
pesticides to floral and fauna.

HAZARDS SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

These signs and symbols help people to be extra cautious, aware, and observant in surroundings. Each picture is designed to become recognizable
to anyone as a signal word like “danger” or “warning”.

FLAME HEALTH HAZARD EXPLODING BOMB

• flammable • Reproductive toxicity • Explosives
• self-heating • Respiratory sensitizer • Self-reactive
• emits flammable gas. • Target organ toxicity • Organic Peroxides
• Pyrophoric • Aspiration toxicity
 SKULL AND CROSSBONES NATURAL HAZARDS
• Fatal or toxic SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
• Acute toxicity

IMPACT OF HAZARD AND RISK ASSESSMENT

Impacts of Hazard - One way to classify hazard impacts is by means of

general impact themes. Danger to life which includes physical and
psychological harm and diseases. Denial of access like energy, water,
communication, and transport access. Damage to the physical environment
like buildings and land.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION - The process of determining all physical and

nonphysical agents in the workplace or specific environment. To prevent
untoward incidents in a workplace or community, elimination or controlling of
hazards is crucial. In some workplaces where hazards cannot be eliminated, they must be monitored and properly managed at the least.

RISK ASSESSMENT - Is a way to determine which hazards and risks should be prioritized by taking into consideration the probability and severity of
impact.
Steps: • Identify the risk. • Assess the Risk - Once a hazard has been identified, the likelihood and possible severity of injury or harm will need to
be assessed before determining the best way to minimize the risk.

POTENTIAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS AND THEIR EFFECTS

WHAT IS AN EARTHQUAKE? - The feeble shaking to violent trembling of the ground produced by the sudden displacement of rocks or rock materials
below the earth’s surface.
TWO TYPES OF EARTHQUAKES:
Tectonic – generated by the sudden displacement along faults. Volcanic – induced by rising lava or magma beneath active
volcanoes.

ANATOMY OF AN EARTHQUAKE
FAULT - a break in the rocks that make up HYPOCENTER (FOCUS)- the point within EPICENTER - where it occurs at the Earth’s
the Earth’s crust where movement or the Earth where an earthquake rupture surface.
displacement has occurred or may occur starts.
again.

TECTONIC PLATES
DIVERGENT BOUNDARY - when plates CONVERGENT BOUNDARY - when one TRANSFORM FAULT - when plates slip by
drifted apart from each other. plate is force over another during an each other.
earthquake.

MAGNITUDE - a value that tells the reader the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. (M= 7.2)
INTENSITY - severity of an earthquake in terms of its effects on the earth's surface and on humans and their structures. Measurement: I-X

WHAT IS THE “BIG ONE”? - The “Big One” is a major earthquake that experts say may happen in our lifetime and it could strike once the West Valley
Fault moves. According to PHIVOLCS: The fault it moved 4 times in the last 1,400 years that means it has a 400-year cycle. The last happened in
1658 or 357 years ago. The earthquake would be Magnitude 7.2, occurring on a weekday and at night.

EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS

1. GROUND SHAKING - The disruptive up and down and sideways motion experienced during an earthquake.
-EFFECTS OF GROUND SHAKING
a. Damaged buildings, homes, other infrastructure - Strong ground shaking – cause objects to fall or break windows. Can also cause minor to
worse damages to buildings which may collapse the structure.

-DAMAGED FIRE LINES AND FIRE BREAK OUTS - Vulnerable areas: urban poor areas with illegal and substandard electrical connections.
-CUT OFF WATER SUPPLY AND DAMAGED COMMUNICATION LINES.

-HUMAN IMPACT - Bulk of the casualties are expected to result from building collapse. The rest will be from fire and related hazards.

2. GROUND RUPTURE - Occurs when movement on a fault deep within the Earth breaks through to the surface. Note: NOT ALL earthquakes result
in surface rupture. Any structure built across the fault is at risk of being torn apart as the two sides of the fault slip past each other.

3. LIQUEFACTION - A phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading.
EFFECTS OF LIQUEFACTION - Subsidence of bridge column, subsidence of buildings and roads, fissuring of roads), damaged to buried pipes and
tanks.

LOCALITIES PRONE TO LIQUEFACTION:

1. Water-saturated (shallow water table), 3. riverbanks, abandoned rivers, flood 6. reclaimed land (ex: SM MOA)
low-lying plains
2. Have loose (unconsolidated), sand or silt 4. coastlines
deposits 5. Swamps (ex: Candaba)

4. TSUNAMI - Also known as “tidal wave” or “seismic sea wave” is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of
water. Results from the disturbance of seawater by undersea earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and meteor impact.

Quick Facts about the 2011 Japan Tsunami: It was caused by a Magnitude 9 earthquake off the coast of Sendai. Waves were high as 30 meters.
Top speed: 800 km/hr (same as an airplane). Because of the earthquake’s strength, the Earth’s axis shifted for about 4 inches, causing days to be
shorter by 1.8 seconds. One of the deadliest tsunamis in recent time was the Japan tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011 which killed around
15,000 people and caused $200 billion damage.

TSUNAMI SIGNS
Tsunami Threat in the Philippines: The Philippines is vulnerable to tsunami due to the presence of offshore faults and trenches such as Manila
Trench, Negros Trench, Sulu Trench, Cotabato Trench, Philippine Trench, and East Luzon Trough. Tsunamis in the Philippines are rare but could be
devastating.

TWO TYPES OF TSUNAMIS

1. LOCAL - Happens to coasts within a hundred km from the source. 2. FAR FIELD - Can travel from 1 to 24 hours before reaching the
Can reach the shoreline within 2 -5 minutes. Affected areas: coastal coast of the nearby countries. Tsunamis mainly coming from the
areas facing Pacific Ocean, West Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea and countries bordering Pacific Ocean like Chile, Alaska in USA, and
Celebes Sea. Japan.

The Most Devastating Tsunami Ever (Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2004): Occurred on December 26, 2004. Triggered by a Magnitude 9.1 earthquake
that struck the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The rupture under the Indian Ocean was 600 miles long. The tsunami traveled as far as 3,000 miles in
Africa. Resulted in more than 200,000 deaths. The tsunami affected 11 countries including Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and India.

STORM SURGE - “daluyong” in Filipino Abnormal rise of seawater caused by a typhoon.

WARNING SIGNS OF A TSUNAMI

1. CHANGES IN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR - Zoologist hypothesize that some animal species like elephants can sense subsonic Rayleigh waves from an
earthquake or a tsunami (National Geographic).

2. SEVERE GROUND SHAKING CAUSED BY AN EARTHQUAKE - If you are on the coast and there is an earthquake, it may have caused a tsunami.

3. DRAWBACK - As a tsunami approaches shorelines, water may recede from the coast, exposing the ocean floor, reefs and fish.

4. A “loud” sound like an incoming train or a jet aircraft.

VOLCANO-RELATED HAZARDS

Volcanoes are the Earth's geologic architects. They've created more than 80% of our planet's surface, laying the foundation that has allowed life to
thrive.
BASIC CONCEPTS ABOUT VOLCANOES

WHAT IS A VOLCANO? - A volcano is a geological rupture in the Earth's crust triggered by natural forces, such as pressure and temperature in the
interior of the Earth. These forces drive gases and hot liquid, known as magma, out through a volcano's orifice known as vent. Once out of the vent,
these erupted materials break down, harden, or condense around a volcano's vent.

HOW DO VOLCANOES FORM?

1. CONVERGENT PLATES – Subducted 2. DIVERGENT PLATES – Magma 3. HOT SPOTS - is an area in the Earth’s
plate melts and forms magma chamber chambers are close to the surface due to mantle from which hot plumes rise upward,
under the volcano. the plates moving apart. forming volcanoes on the overlying crust.

TYPES OF VOLCANOES (ACCORDING TO SHAPE)

1. STRATOVOLCANO (OR COMPOSITE) 2. SHIELD - Form from many layers of 3. CINDER CONE - Simplest type. Small,
- Violent, explosive eruptions. Erupts ash, “runny” magma. Very wide and not too steep volcano made of volcanic debris that
steam, gases, pyroclastic flow. Ex: Mt. steep. Biggest type. Do not erupt violently builds up around the vent. Violent eruptions
Pinatubo (Philippines) Mt. Fuji (Japan). (gentle lava flow). Ex: Hawaiian Islands. with fiery displays of erupting lava.

TYPES OF VOLCANOES (ACCORDING TO ERUPTION)

1. ACTIVE - Erupted within historical times Kanlaon (Bacolod), Mt. Bulusan 3. EXTINCT - Has not erupted in the past
(last 600 years). It is erupting and is (Sorsogon), Mt. Hibok-Hibok (Camiguin 10,000 years. Unlikely to erupt again
expected to erupt in the future. Active Island), Mt. Pinatubo. because it has no lava supply. Ex: Mount
Volcanoes in the Philippines: Mt. Mayon 2. DORMANT • Not erupting or predicted to Butay in Camiguin Island.
(Albay), Taal Volcano (Batangas), Mt. erupt soon. But it has erupted in the past.

VOLCANIC HAZARDS

WHAT ARE VOLCANIC HAZARDS? - Are phenomena arising from volcanic activity that pose potential threat to persons or property in a given area
within a given period of time.

1. LAVA FLOWS - Stream-like flows of incandescent molten rock erupted from a crater or fissure. When degassed and viscous, it extrudes extremely
slow, forming lava domes. Why Is it Dangerous? - Rarely threaten human life because lava usually moves slowly. Major hazards: Lavas can burn.
Lavas can bury.

2. ASHFALL - Showers of airborne fine- to coarsegrained volcanic particles that fallout from the plumes of a volcanic eruption. Why is it Dangerous?
Carries harmful gases, acids, and salts. Ash suspended in the air is dangerous for aircrafts. Burial can collapse roofs and damage power and
communication lines.

3. PYROCLASTIC FLOW - Turbulent mass of ejected fragmented volcanic materials mixed with hot gases that flow downslope at very high speeds.
Why Is it Dangerous? - Highly destructive because of their mass, high temperature, high velocity, and mobility. Destroy everything on its path. Burn
sites with hot rocks. Burn forests, farmlands, destroy crops • Can cause asphyxiation, burial, and incineration.

4. LAHAR - A violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris, and water. The material flows down
from a volcano, typically along a river valley. Why Is it Dangerous? - Can destroy by direct impact. Can submerge villages, valleys, and communities.
Can increase deposition of sediments in rivers resulting in long-term flooding.

5. VOLCANIC GASES - Released in the atmosphere • Includes gases like hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO),
hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen fluoride (HF). Why Is it Dangerous? - Sulfur dioxide (SO2) – can cause acid rain. CO2 – in high concentration is
lethal to people, animals, and vegetation. Can cause eye and skin irritations. Can cause asthma and other lung problems.

6. BALLISTIC PROJECTILES - Volcanic materials directly ejected from a volcano’s vent with force. Why is it Dangerous? - Can endanger the life
and property by force of impact of falling fragments.