Lesson 1: Concepts, Nature and Effects of Disasters

Lesson 1:
Concepts,
Nature and
Effects of
Disasters
DISASTER
According to the United Nations
International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (UNISDR), a disaster is
a consequence of hazards leading
to serious destruction of the
functioning of a society.
Flood is a natural disaster

2
Natural disasters could be described as strong
earthquakes, cyclones, floods, and drought, bringing
corresponding risks. Disaster risk entails potential
losses in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets, and
services due to a certain disaster, which could occur
to society over some specified period (NDRRMP).
Risk is the expected losses of lives, persons
injured, property damaged, and economic activity
disrupted due to a particular hazard for a given area
and reference period. The unit of measure of risk
could be a number of fatality or value of the
damaged property (UNIDSR) using this formula:
Risk = Hazard x Elements at Risk x

Vulnerability
3
Risk Factors
of Disasters
4
Hazards
• refer to the 1. Natural

probability of Hazards
occurrence of a • Biological Hazards
potentially • Geologic Hazard
damaging • Hydrometeorological
phenomenon Hazard
within a given
period and
geographic area 2. Human-induced
Hazards
5
Exposure/ Elements at risk
It consists of the people, buildings and structures,

infrastructure, economic activities, and public services
exposed to hazards in a given area and period (NEDA).
6
Vulnerability
It refers to conditions that define how

elements exposed to risk are affected
by a hazard. It is mathematically
expressed as the degree of loss (from
0 to 100 percent) resulting from a
potentially damaging event
(UNISDR). For example, the most
vulnerable population to flooding are
those residents living near rivers who
have experienced poverty.
7
Capacities/Resiliency
It is the quality of the affected entity
that reduces the vulnerability of
people and property (UNISDR).
Resiliency is the capacity to prevent
losses, maintain normal living
conditions when damage occurs, and
manage recovery from the impact
(Buckle et al., 2000). According to
SOPAC, it is the ability to resist or
recover from damage.
8
Effects of
Disaster
9
Primary Effects
Primary effects result

from hazardous processes
such as water pollution
during a flood or collapse
of buildings during an
earthquake, landslide, or
typhoon
10
Secondary Effects
It secondary effects arise

when a primary effect has
caused the emergence of
events like fires and water
unavailability problems as a
result of an earthquake, flood,
or typhoon, or landslide
11
Tertiary Effects
Tertiary effects are long-term

effects due to a primary effect
which include loss of habitat
caused by a typhoon, changes
in the river channel by flood
or crop failure due to a
volcanic eruption (Nelson,
2015)
12
Nature of Disasters
Natural hazards act as triggers to
disasters and areas at risk. A
natural disaster results when a
natural hazard causes serious
disruption, resulting in human,
material, economic or
environmental losses that exceed
the ability to cope by that affected
entity (NEDA).
13
Vulnerable Areas
Among the countries in the world, the
Philippines is the most prone to natural hazards
because of its geographic landscapes. It
comprises 7, 107 islands having a long coastline
which makes it vulnerable to sea-level rise. The
archipelago is also geographically located along
the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it vulnerable to
earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic hazards for
having 220 volcanoes, 22 of which are classified
as active. It lies along the Western Pacific Basin,
a center of different extreme climatic conditions
such as monsoons, thunderstorms, intertropical
convergence zones, typhoons, and El Niño.
14
Holistic View On Disasters
Economic Political
Aspect Aspect
Socio-
Cultural and
Physical
Psychological Aspect Biological
Aspect Aspect
15
Socio-Cultural and Psychological Aspect
Disasters cause the loss of lives

and damage to property. There is
an increase in deaths from natural
disasters in 1990 and 2000-2006
compared to the record of 1980. A
significant number of deaths are
caused by tropical cyclones
hitting the country
16
Economic Aspect
The average cost of direct damage from

natural disasters from 1970 to 2006 is
estimated at Php 15 billion from crops,
public infrastructure, and private homes.
The damage in 1978 with 15 disasters
turned in the highest with Php70 billion.
The major disasters with high direct
damage are the Luzon earthquake in 1990
(about Php66 Billion), the Mt.Pinatubo
eruption in 1991 (about Php33 Billion),
and the droughts in 1984 and 1987.
17
Physical Aspect
Infrastructures, residential areas,

commercial buildings, and agricultural
structures are being damaged by
floods, typhoons, landslides, and
earthquakes. Disasters damage roads
and bridges used for transportation.
Communications are also affected by
the damages on the antenna and wires
and loss of electricity.
18
Political/Institutional Aspect
Institutions that are organized groups in the

society are affected if a certain disaster hits
the local communities. Disasters may affect
the civil society and the government's
customs, traditions, values, and policies.
There will be imbalances in power or
authority that will cause chaos in the
community due to the unequal distribution
of information and resources. Disasters can
erode the country’s development gains by
the direction of funds
19
Biological Aspect
Disasters can cause changes in the

country’s aquatic resources, including
the freshwater and marine
ecosystems. The species will be
affected by the loss of their habitats.
More species will not survive from
the aggravated human causes of
deforestation as one of the reasons
for their degraded habitats
20

Lesson 1: Concepts, Nature and Effects of Disasters

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 1: Concepts, Nature and Effects of Disasters

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 1: Concepts, Nature and Effects of Disasters

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 1:

Flood is a natural disaster

Risk = Hazard x Elements at Risk x

• refer to the 1. Natural

It consists of the people, buildings and structures,

It refers to conditions that define how

Primary effects result

It secondary effects arise

Tertiary effects are long-term

Disasters cause the loss of lives

The average cost of direct damage from

Infrastructures, residential areas,

Institutions that are organized groups in the

Disasters can cause changes in the

You might also like