Course Code Course Title: Semester School Year Period

CRITICAL THINKING
COURSE CODE DRRR INNOVATIVE THINKING

EMPATHY
RESILIENCE
COURSE TITLE Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
TEAMWORK
COMMUNICATION
SEMESTER First SCHOOL YEAR 2020-21
PERIOD WEEK 1: The Basic Concept of Disaster MODULE NO. 1

INTRODUCTION
"My life has been a disaster since you left me!" is a statement from a movie that uses the word
"disaster”. 'Disaster' is also a word that we use when we don't like the scenario in which we find
ourselves. However, in this lesson, we will look at disaster from the standpoint of how it occurs
because of various circumstances. By the way, how have you imagined tragedy in your own life?
Obviously, depending on how we are in each scenario, there could be many different meanings of
disaster. Regardless of your point of view, no one wants to be in the middle of a disaster.
When we define “disaster”, we need to think critically. In this lesson, you will be able to:
Intended Learning Outcomes (Learning Competencies)
➢ Define hazard, exposure, and vulnerability

➢ Relate how disasters affect our lives
➢ Discover how susceptible the Philippines is to disasters
TOPIC 1: The Basic Concept of Disaster

UNISDR considers disasters as "a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society
involving widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses and impacts which
exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources”. The
Philippines’ geographical location contributes to the reason why these hazards can be disastrous.
A disaster disrupts a community's functions that may result in property, economic, and
environmental losses, as well as the loss of life. Although natural disasters are the most common
cause, disasters can also be caused by bad planning.
To further understand the concept of disaster, it is important to understand these terms:
Hazard is an event that has the potential to cause widespread destruction, loss of lives,
and damage to property.
Vulnerability is defined as “the conditions which increase the susceptibility of a

community to the impacts of hazards”
Exposure is defined as the situation of the people or properties which are directly
affected by disasters.
The interplay of hazards, vulnerability and exposure is referred to as disaster risk. With that, to
A disaster happens when the probable destructive agent, the hazard, hits a vulnerable
populated area. A natural event like a volcanic eruption which hits an uninhabited area does not
qualify as a disaster. (Figure 1.1) It becomes a disaster only if it hits vulnerable population and
properties- in short, if there are victims. (Figure 1.2)
According to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, “the interplay of
hazards, vulnerability and exposure is referred to as disaster risk. With that, to avoid
disaster, disaster risk must be reduced by addressing vulnerability and exposure.”
NATURE OF DISASTERS
Natural Disaster are related to natural processes that occur in the Earth’s with or without
warning. People are aware of the hazards that could lead to disasters, and they probably have
come up with actions or plans to cope with them. They have also studied their historical records
and foresee which natural disasters they are exposed to.
Humanmade Disaster occurs once the precursor sets in. Majority of humanmade disasters
often occur without warning. And are caused by rapid industrialization. The different disasters can
be grouped as geologic, hydrometeorological, anthropogenic, and biological.
TYPES OF DISASTERS
NATURAL DISASTER HUMAN-MADE AND TECHNOLOGICAL

TYPES OF DISASTERS
Agricultural disease and pets

Storm Surge
Drought
Earthquakes Hazardous material
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms Power service interruption and blackout
Landslide Nuclear power plant and nuclear blast
Thunderstorm and Lightning Radiological emergencies
Tornadoes Chemical threat and biological weapons
Tsunamis Cyber Attacks
Wildfires Explosion
Sinkholes Civil Unrest
Emergency Disease Hazardous material
Extreme Heat
Floods and flash floods
La Niῆa
TOPIC 2: Effects of Natural Disasters on Human Life
A natural event such as a tsunami becomes a hazard if it poses a threat to people. A

magnitude 6.5 earthqquake is usually strong enough to generate tsunamis that could be
destructive to nearby coastal areas. The tsunami waves that are about to hit a beach area with
people, animals, trees, and houses are considered a a hazard. After the tsunami hits the
populated area it is no longer just a hazard but a disaster with victims and destruction or
damage all over the place.
How does natural disasters affect human life?
A. Displaced Populations
One of the most immediate effects of natural disasters is population displacement. When
countries are ravaged by earthquakes or other powerful forces of nature like floods and super
typhoons, many people have to abandon their homes and seek shelter in other regions. A large
influx of refugees can disrupt accessibility of health care and education, as well as food supplies
and clean water.
When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, thousands of families in Zambales and Pampanga
were displaced. Their communities were ravaged by lahar flow that turned these communities.
B. Health Risk
Aside from the obvious immediate danger that natural disasters present, the secondary
effects can be just as damaging. Severe flooding can result in stagnant water that allows
breeding of waterborne bacteria and malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Dengue fever is another
serious health problem cause by mosquitoes (Aegis aegypti). Without emergency relief from
international danger has passed.
C. Food Scarcity
After natural disasters, food often becomes scarce. Thousands of people around the
world go hungry because of destroyed crops and loss of agricultural supplies, whether it
happens suddenly in a storm or gradually in a drought. As a result, food prices rise, reducing
families’ purchasing power and increasing the risk of severe malnutrition. The impacts of hunger
following an earthquake, typhoon or hurricane can be tremendous, cause lifelong damage to
children’s development.
D. Emotional Aftershocks
Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for young children. Confronted with scenes
of destruction and the deaths of friends and loved ones, many children develop post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), a serious psychological condition resulting from extreme trauma. Left
untreated, children suffering from PTSD can be prone to lasting psychological damage and
emotional distress.
Activity 1: Discover the Natural Phenomena
Instructions:
• Read the report below. Based on the details, provide the indicated key concepts on the
blank provided. Submit your answers in a PDF file with filename:
Surname_Module1_Section (Deadline: November 12, 2021 at 11:59PM)
• Upload your output in USTeP>Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction>under Week 1

Activities> Activity 1 (Discover the Natural Phenomena)
The Cagayan de Oro City Mayor in Mindanao said many people were caught by surprise
when water rose one meter (three feet) high in less than an hour, forcing people onto roofs.
“Most of them were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes. This the worst
flooding our city has experienced in years”. The national disaster agency said it could not
estimate crop and property damage because emergency workers, including soldiers and police
officers, were evacuating families and recovering casualties. Hendery Ramos, Head of the
NDRRMC told reporters that the residents were warned about the dangers posed by the storm
days earlier but were not instructed to move to safe areas. He said Mindanao was rarely visited
by storms, even as 20 major storms strike the Philippines annually, with the most hitting Luzon,
the largest and most populous island in the Southeast Asian archipelago. “We expect huge
damage, especially on agriculture,” Ramos said. Two of the three rivers that flow into the port of
the city had overflowed, he added, and a popular radio commentator was among those killed.
Other affected areas on Mindanao included 9 Bukidnon province, where 47 people died, while
nine other people were killed elsewhere on the island, an officer of the Red Cross said.
Questions: Answer:
1. What disaster has taken place?
2. Was the disaster caused by natural or

manmade event?
3. What did the disaster incur to the

community?
4. Did the community know about the

occurrence of the disaster?
5. What did the community do to prepare for

the impacts of the disaster?
REFERENCES
1. Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok under Capacity

Building in Asia using Information Technology Applications (CASITA)
project- http://www.adpc.net/casita/course- materials/Mod-2-Hazards.pdf
2. R. Rimando & J. Belen (2016) Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction, Rex Publishing Inc.
3. R. &D. Papa, et al. Earth and Life Science Knowing and Understanding Nature .
Abiva Publishing Inc.
Prepared by:
Florianne T Consolacion
Nicole Adelle G Tacandong
Department of Environmental Science and Technology

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CRITICAL THINKING

COURSE CODE DRRR INNOVATIVE THINKING

SEMESTER First SCHOOL YEAR 2020-21

PERIOD WEEK 1: The Basic Concept of Disaster MODULE NO. 1

Intended Learning Outcomes (Learning Competencies)

➢ Define hazard, exposure, and vulnerability

TOPIC 1: The Basic Concept of Disaster

To further understand the concept of disaster, it is important to understand these terms:

Vulnerability is defined as “the conditions which increase the susceptibility of a

NATURAL DISASTER HUMAN-MADE AND TECHNOLOGICAL

Agricultural disease and pets

A natural event such as a tsunami becomes a hazard if it poses a threat to people. A

How does natural disasters affect human life?

• Upload your output in USTeP>Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction>under Week 1

1. What disaster has taken place?

2. Was the disaster caused by natural or

3. What did the disaster incur to the

4. Did the community know about the

5. What did the community do to prepare for

1. Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Bangkok under Capacity

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