Basic Concept of Disaster and Disaster Risk

Disaster is "a sudden, calamitous occurrence that causes great harm, injury, destruction, and devastation
to life and property”. It disrupts the usual course of life, causing both physical and emotional distress such
as an intense feeling of helplessness and hopelessness.

Disasters are often a result of the combination of: the exposure to a hazard; the conditions of vulnerability
that are present; and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or cope with the potential negative
consequences.

Its impacts may include loss of life, injury, disease and other negative effects on human physical, mental,
and social wellbeing, together with damage to properties, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and
economic disruptions, and environmental degradation.

Republic Act 10121 also known as “An Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management System, Providing for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan,
Appropriating Funds, Therefore and Other Purposes” was passed and approved on May 27, 2010 after 21
years of revisions and refiling in the two legislative bodies. This new law, unlike the previousPresidential
Decree P.D. 1566, is pro-active in giving importance to disaster mitigation and preparedness measures.
One of the law’s salient points is the immediate release of calamity funds to local government units (LGUs)
so they can prepare for disaster mitigation and preparedness. This is a welcome provision because local
government units can utilize 70 percent of the total calamity fund to risk-reduction measures and 30
percent to quick response activities. In the old law, the LGU can only use the calamity fund for quick
response activities.

Section 2 of the RA 10121 states that the state shall “develop, promote, and implement a comprehensive
that aims to strengthen the capacity of the national government and the LGUs, together with partner
stakeholders, to build the disaster resilience of communities, and to institutionalize arrangements and
measures for reducing disaster risks, including projected climate risks, and enhancing disaster
preparedness and response capabilities at all levels. http://drrknowledge.net/phil-laws-drr/

Natural Disasters – a natural phenomenon is caused by natural forces, such as earthquakes, typhoon,
volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, fires, tornados, and extreme temperatures. They can be classified as rapid
onset disasters and those with progressive onset, such as droughts that lead to famine. These events,
usually sudden, can have tremendous effects.

Hazard - A hazard is a source or condition that has the potential to cause harm to humans in the form of
injury or illness, property damage, environmental damage, or a combination of these.
A. A natural hazard occurs when an extreme natural event is destructive to human life and property. This
event could interfere with activities in a minor way such as when strong winds blow trees down, or this
event could completely disrupt activities like a large earthquake damaging your home, business or school.
These natural events have been happening for thousands of years (a long time before we were even
around!), but they only become hazards when humans are affected in some way.

Human-made induced hazards are caused by human activities. Unlike natural hazards, human-made
hazards can often be prevented.

Examples:
1. Technological/industrial disasters - Unregulated industrialization and inadequate safety standards
increase the risk for industrial disasters.

Examples: leaks of hazardous materials; accidental explosions; bridge or road collapses, or vehicle
collisions; Power cuts
2. Terrorism/Violence - the threat of terrorism has also increased due to the spread of technologies
involving nuclear, biological, and chemical agents used to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Examples: bombs or explosions; release of chemical materials; release of biological agents; release of
radioactive agents; multiple or massive shootings; mutinies
3. Complex humanitarian emergencies - the term complex emergency is usually used to describe the
humanitarian emergency resulting from an international or civil war. In such situations, large numbers of
people are displaced from their homes due to the lack of personal safety and the disruption of basic
infrastructure including food distribution, water, electricity, and sanitation, or communities are left
stranded and isolated in their own homes unable to access assistance. Examples: conflicts or wars and
Genocide the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or
nation

“Disasters and their Effects on the Population: Key Concepts,”, Accessed on 02 June 2020, pages 7-10,
https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/disasters_ dpac_PEDsModule1. pdf .
The damage caused by disaster cannot be measured. It also differs with the kind of geographical location,
climate, earth’s specific characteristics, and level of vulnerability. These determining factors affect
generally the psychological, socio – economic, political, and ethnical state of the affected area.

Risk and Disaster Risk

Risk has various connotations within different disciplines. In general, risk is defined as “the combination of
the probability of an event and its negative consequences” (UNISDR, 2009). The term risk is thus
multidisciplinary and is used in a variety of contexts.

It is usually associated with the degree to which humans cannot cope (lack of capacity) with a situation
(e.g. natural hazard).

The term disaster risk refers to the potential (not actual and realized) disaster losses, in lives, health status,
livelihoods, assets, and services which could occur in a community or society over some specified future
time period.

Disaster risk is the product of the possible damage caused by a hazard due to the vulnerability within a
community. It should be noted that the effect of a hazard (of a particular magnitude) would affect
communities differently (Von Kotze, 1999:35).
It can also be determined by the presence of three variables: hazards (natural or anthropogenic);
vulnerability to a hazard; and coping capacity linked to the reduction, mitigation, and resilience to the
vulnerability of a community.

What is the difference between hazard and disaster?

A hazard is a dangerous situation or event that carries a threat to humans. A disaster is an event that
harms humans and disrupts the operations of society. Hazards can only be considered disasters once it
affected humans. If a disaster happened in an unpopulated area, it is still a hazard.

The Human Effect of Natural and Man-Made Disasters

1. Displaced Populations
2. Health Risks
3. Food Scarcity
4. 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.
Great damage caused by a disaster can be reduced if everyone will take responsibility in anticipating its
effects. Here are some ways on how to plan ahead of a disaster:
1. Check for hazards at home.
2. Identify safe place indoors and outdoors
3. Educate yourself and family members
4. Have Disaster kits/supplies on hand.
5. Develop an emergency communication plan.
6. Help your community get ready.
7. Practice the Disaster Preparedness Cycle

Disasters from Different Perspectives

1. Physical perspective
Calamities are phenomena that cause great physical damage in a community infrastructure, its people and
their properties, e.g. houses and environmental sources of living. These cited effects of a disaster can be
easily measured and the most common.
Effects of Physical Disasters
- Injuries
- Physical disabilities or illness
- Sanitation
- Damage in infrastructure

2. Psychological Perspective
Victims of disasters may suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other serious mental health
conditions, which are not being given much attention to by the authorities or even by the victims,
themselves. (This may be sensitive statement)
Psychological effects of a Disaster:
 distress hopelessness
 intrusion/avoidance emotional effects
 hatred/revenge cognitive Effects
 dependence/insecurities physical Effects
 grief/withdrawn/isolation interpersonal effect
 guilt feeling helplessness
 lack of trust

3. Socio-cultural Perspective
Filipinos are generally known as “matiisin”, resourceful, helpful, optimistic, and prayerful. These
characteristics are manifested in the country’s recent fight against COVID19.Due to the National Health
Emergency, Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) prevailed in the whole country. A lot of people
temporarily lost their jobs, some people stranded in different regions, repatriated OFWs were held in
different quarantine facilities in Metro Manila, and all people were restricted to go out of their homes for
months. As a result, most Filipino families would rely on government’s help for them to get by. However,
limited resources and aids from the government make people find possible ways to survive amid the
pandemic.
These traits help a lot of Filipinos to survive the challenge of COVID19 in the country. To people who are
used to natural calamities like typhoons, flash floods, and volcanic eruptions most citizen would find
contentment with what they have at the moment. The culture of “malalampasan din natin ‘to..” belief and
“ bahala na and Diyos” syndrome give hope to most Filipino in the midst of a disaster. Such perspective
helps a lot especially those who belong to the marginalized sector to be hopeful and continue fighting
against any challenge at hand. Their belief that a help from someone or from God would arrive at a time
they most needed. It also helps most people survive a lot of oddities in life.
Socio-Cultural Effect of Disasters
⮚ change in individual roles
⮚ disruption of social relationships and personal connections

4. Economic Perspective
Disasters affect the economic condition of a community because they reduce local and international trade.
It can also partially or totally paralyze a country’s transportation system, just like what happened in the
COVID19 pandemic. Implementation of a partial and total shut down of local business operations result to
a lot of people losing means of living.
Economic Effects of Disasters
- loss of life
- unemployment
- loss of property
- loss of household articles
- loss of crops
- loss of public infrastructure

5. Political Perspective
Natural disasters are commonly thought to be less politically argumentative than armed conflicts, yet a
closer look shows that both the effects of a natural disaster and the resulting distribution of humanitarian
aid are profoundly linked to politics.
Political Effects of a Disaster
- People who have trust in political institution will assess the government’s risk assessments as
credible and accept their hazard policies (Johnson 1999)
- Low level of trust in public institutions therefore means that citizens may ignore the
recommendations and disregard the information provided by these institutions (McCaffey 2004).
- If individuals are confident that they will receive sufficient aid from the government when a
disaster occurs, they might not be motivated to take measures on their own (King and Kang 2000).

6. Biological Perspective
The disturbing effects caused by a prevalent kind of disease or virus in an epidemic or pandemic level is
known as biological disaster.
(a) Epidemic Level: Biological disaster affects large numbers of people within a given community or area.
Ex: Dengue.
(b) Pandemic Level: Biological disaster affects a much large region, sometime spanning entire continents or
the globe
ex. Swine Flue
Biological disasters can wipe out an entire population at a short span of time.
Example of it is the COVID19 pandemic which infected millions in less than a month and left thousands of
deaths in the same duration. Viral respiratory infections can lead to anything from a mild cough that lasts a
few weeks or months to full-blown persistent wheezing or asthma (Martin, 2020). He added that when
there is a severe respiratory infection, recovery can be prolonged with a general increase in shortness of
breath— even after normal lung function returns. Since COVID19 is a respiratory disease, the public is
advised by health authorities to do health precaution to prevent social contamination. Examples are:
observing physical distancing, appropriate washing of the hands, wearing of mask at all times once outside
of one’s home, and boosting one’s immune system.
COVID19 patients who have strong immune system can likely soon recover from the disease. Also, those
who follow the health precaution strictly have less chance of being infected. As such, the effects of a
biological disaster can be reduced.
Effects of Biological Disasters
⮚ loss of lives
⮚ public demobilization
⮚ negative economic effect
⮚ unemployment
⮚ hunger
 Sectors of Society’s Vulnerability to Disaster

Factors affecting vulnerability of one’s community:

1. Population density near a hazard event.
• Population differs from population density.
• Population refers to the number of individuals inhabiting in a particular space at the same time. If people
are well distributed, there is lesser effect of disaster.
• Population density refers to the number of individuals living in an area in relation to the size of an area. If
population density is high, it means that the number of individuals is high but the space is very small. In
that case, if fire broke in that area, there is little space for the population to escape quickly and easily. So,
crowded communities have higher vulnerability to hazards.
• The primary consideration is not the population size but the population density.

2. Capacity and efficiency to reduce Disaster Risk.

• Community that is less vulnerable has the capacity to reduce disaster risk because;
1. It can provide accessibility and availability of services and facilities during and after disaster.
2. It has the ability to anticipate, adapt, and respond to possible disaster.
• Is it appropriate to say that The Philippines is less vulnerable to typhoon? Nowadays, our country has
advanced technology to predict super typhoon and several municipalities already provided evacuation
centers to provide temporary housing for victims when disaster occur.
 Hazard: Its Impact, Identification and Risk Assessment

A hazard is defined as a condition or a set of circumstances that present a potential for harm. So far, you
also have learned that hazards are divided into two broad categories: health hazard (can cause
occupational illnesses) and safety hazard (can cause physical harm or injuries). A hazard can also be
classified into six types which are namely: biological, chemical, physical, safety, ergonomic and
psychosocial.
Risk refers to the potential for loss, damage, or destruction a hazard can cause while vulnerability refers to
the characteristics of a community or system that make it susceptible to the possible damaging effects of a
hazard. For example, a doctor who is handling a patient infected with a virus (hazard) has a high chance of
getting infected (risk) if she has poor immune system and does not wear personal protective equipment
(vulnerability).

What are the Different Impacts of Hazards?

A hazard can bring about many impacts which can come in different types. Facilities and infrastructures are
commonly the target of natural hazards. Specifically, these impacts can trigger accidents and the release of
toxic substances, fires and explosions, potentially resulting in health effects, environmental pollution and
economic losses.
One way to classify hazard impacts is by means of general impact themes namely:
• 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

Six specific types of hazard impacts

1. Physical impact
- Physical injuries (bone fracture, wounds, bruises)
- Destruction and loss of vital infrastructure like transportation system, roads, bridges, power lines and
communication lines.
- Wide spread destruction of housing and buildings

2. Psychological impact
- Grief and psychological illness
- Marital conflict
- Depression due to loss of loved ones and properties
- Chronic anxiety

3. Socio- cultural impact

- Displacement of population
- Loss of cultural identity
- Forced of adoption of new sets of culture
- Ethnic conflicts

4. Economic impact
- Loss of job due to displacement
- Loss of harvest and livestock
- Loss of farms, fish cages and other source of food
- Loss of money and other valuables
5. Environmental impact
- Loss of forest due to forest fires
- Loss of fresh water due to salination
- Disturbance of biodiversity
- Loss of natural rivers

6. Biological impact
- Epidemic to people, flora and fauna
- Chronic and permanent illness caused by biological agents
- Proliferation of different viral diseases

Identification of Hazards and Risk Assessment

Hazard identification is the process of determining all physical and nonphysical agents in the workplace or specific
environment. Most occupational health and safety problems are caused by hazards which are not eliminated or
managed. In order 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.

Below are the steps in hazard identification and risk assessment.

1. Identify the hazards. Use the following methods:

a. Observation - use your senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch - combined with knowledge and experience.

b. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) - obtain them from manufacturers and suppliers. It gives information on
possible harm from hazardous substances and precautions that need to be taken.

c. Hazard and risk surveys - interview other people about their safety concerns as far as the workplace is concerned.
Utmost consideration should be given to children or visitors who could be at risk.

d. Discussion groups - are useful for identifying hazards and recommending solutions.

e. Safety audits – a committee must be assigned to periodically check safety in the area.

2. 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. High-risk hazards need to be addressed more
urgently than low- risk ones.

3. Make the changes. Once risks are assessed, the next step is to make decision for some necessary changes. These
changes include removing the hazard and replacing it with something less hazardous, engineering modifications like
installation of exhausts, safety barriers and safety exits, modification of procedures, etc. Combination of the risk
control measures mentioned above to effectively reduce exposure to hazards can also be done.

4. Checking the changes made. To make sure risk has been minimized, and a further hazard has not been
created, the new safety measures may need to be carefully tested before work begins again. Risk
assessment doesn’t end with making changes. It is essential that these changes made are monitored and
checked. It must be monitored if the changes done are being followed consistently and if these changes
contribute to the improvement of safety management in the workplace. This last step has to be done
periodically to accurately assess the effectiveness of the entire process.
 Potential Earthquake Hazards and their Effects

1. Ground Shaking caused by rapid vibration of the ground. (DOST-PHIVOLCS,N.d.).It is produced by passing of
seismic waves beneath the structure that generate sudden slip on the fault. Ground shaking can damage, fall or
collapse buildings or structure resulted by shaking of grounds. However, we should keep mind that

Ground shaking is measured in terms of the following:

a. velocity
b. acceleration
c. frequency
d. duration

2. Ground Rupture/ Ground Displacement is deformation on the ground that marks the intersection of the
fault with the earth’s surface (DOST-PHIVOLCS,n.d.). Ruptures occur along zones of weakness, such as
preexisting faults or fractures. Ground Rupture can cause fissuring, displacement of the ground due to
movement of the fault. Specifically, it can cause buildings to collapse, roads to divide and rice fields or
irrigation system to displace.
Characteristics of Ground Rupture
a. Length - It depends on the magnitude of
an earthquake. Earthquake with 6.5
magnitudes and above will result to larger
rupture.
b. Width - The deformation along the length
of ground rupture also largely depend on
the type of faulting.

Two types of Ground Ruptures

a. Vertical Displacement- occurs when one
side of the ground goes up or down or both
sides move with one side going up and the
other going down.
b. Horizontal Displacement- happens when
there is lateral movement from side to side;
one side goes to left or right or both moves
sideways in different directions.

3. Liquefaction is a transformation of the

behavior of a body of sediments or soil form to
liquid form. (DOST-PHIVOLCS,n.d.).It is a process
caused by water pressure which makes soil
more compact. It decreases the ground’s ability
to support structures. Liquefaction can cause
sinking and/or titling of structure above it; sand
boil; fissuring.
4. Tsunami is a series of waves caused by an earthquake under the sea. (DOST-PHIVOLCS,n.d.).
Wave’s height could be greater than 5 meters. It is also known as tidal waves. Tsunami can
cause flooding, coastal erosion; drowning of people and damage to properties.
A tsunami event in the country happened last August 17, 1976, where a magnitude 7.9
earthquake in Moro Gulf produced up to 9-meter high tsunamis that devastated the southwest
coast of Mindanao and left more than 3,000 people dead and at least 1,000 people are missing
(DOST-PHIVOLCS,n.d.).
5. Earthquake-induced landslide is down slope movements of rocks and other debris
commonly triggered by strong shaking. It may include soil, debris, and/ or rocks. (DOST-
PHIVOLCS,n.d.). It can cause erosion, burial and blockage of road and rivers.
6. Earthquake-Induced ground subsidence is the sinking or settling of the ground surface due
to various causes, such as extraction of ground water and natural gas, mining and earthquakes
(DOST-PHIVOLCS, n.d.).It can caused ground subsides; the structures on the surface can tilt or
collapse due to weakened foundation.