LA SALLE COLLEGE ANTIPOLO

Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

2nd Semester AY 2019-2020

Handout # 1

Name : ___________________________________________________________ Section : ______

Teacher : Ms. Analyn C. Ensano Date : ________

Topic: Basic Concept of Disaster and Disaster Risk

Content Areas
1. Concept of Disaster
2. Concept of Disaster Risk
Learning Competencies
1. Explain the meaning os disaster
2. Differentiate the risk factors underlying disasters
3. Describe the effects of disasters on one’s life

I. Concept of Disaster
 A disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society
involving widespread human, economic, or environmental losses and impacts which
exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own
resource.
 It is seen as a consequence of inappropriately managed risk. These risks are the product of a
combination of both hazards and vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability
will never become disasters, as is the case in uninhabited regions.
 Developing countries suffer the greatest costs when a disaster hits-more thsn 95 percent of all deaths
caused by hazards occur in developing countries, and losses due to natural hazards are 20 times
greater in developing countries than in inductrialized countries.

A. Effects of Disasters: Risk and Resilience Factors

 Every year, millionsof people are affected by both human-caused and natural disasters.
Disasters may be explosions, eathquakes, hurricanes, tornados, or fire. In a disaster, you face
the danger of death or physical injury. You may also lose your home, possessions, and
community. Such stressors place you at risk for emotional and physical health problems.
 Stress reactions after disaster look very much like common reactions seen after any type of
trauma. Diasters can cause a full range of mental and physical reactions. You may also react
to problems that occur after the event, as they trigger and remind you of the trauma.

B. Risk factors
1. Severity of Exposure
The amount of exposure to the disaster is highly related to risk of future mental problems.
The highest risks are those that have gone through disaster themselves. Next are those in
close contact with victims. The lower risk with lasting impact are those who only had indirect
exposure, such as new of the sevre damage. Injury and life threat are the factors that lead
most to mental health problems.
2. Gender and family
Almost always, women or girls ssuffer more negative effect that men or boys. Disaster
recovery is more stressful when children are present in the home. Women with spouses also
experience more distress during recovery. Having family member in the home, who is
extremely distressed, is related to more stress to everyone. Marital stress has been found to
increase after disasters. Also conflicts between family members or lack of support in the
home make it harder to recover from disasters.
3. Age
Adults who are in the age which ranges from 40-60 are likely to be more distressed after
disasters.

C. Other Specific factors if the Survivors

Several factors related to a survivor’ background and resources are important for recovery from
disaster. Recovery is worse if you:
1. Were not functioning well before the disaster
2. Have had no experience dealing with diasters
3. Have to deal with other stressors after the disaster
4. Have poor self esteem
5. Feeling of being uncared
6. Have little control of the events
7. Lack the capcity to manage stress
D. Other factors have also been found to predict worse outcomes
1. Bereavement
2. Injury to self or another family member life threat
3. Panic, horror, or feelings during the disaster
4. Being separated from family
5. Great loss of property
6. Displacement (being forced to leave home)

E. Developing countries
Disasters in developing countries have more severe mental health impact than disasters in
developed countries. This is true even with less serious disasters. For example, natural disasters are
generally thought to be less serious than human caused. In developing countries, though,natural
disaters have more severe effects that do human-caused disasters in developed countries.

F. Low or Negative Social Impact

The support of others can be both a risk and a resilient factor. Social support can weaken after
disasters. This may be due to stress and the need for members of the support network to get on with
their own lives. Sometimes the resposnes from others you rely on for support are negative

After a mass trauma, social conflicts, even those tat have ben resolved, may again be seen. Racial,
religious, ethnic, social and tribal divisions may recur as people try to gain access to much needed
resources. In families, conflicts may arise if family members wen trought different things in the
disaster. This sets up different courses of recovery that often are not well understood among family
members.
G. Resilience factors
Human resilience dictates that a large number of survivors will naturally recover from disasters over
time. They will move on without having severe, long lasting mental health issues.
Factors that increase resilience
1. Social Support
Social support increases well-being and limits distress after mass trauma. Being connected
with others makes it easier to obtain knowledge needed for disaster recovery.
2. Coping Confidence
3. Hope

II. Disaster Defined

 Disaster is a crisis situation that far exceeds the capabilities

Types of Disaster
1. Natural
2. Man made

 Business definition for disaster management

“…the actions taken by an organization in response to unexpected events that are adversely
affecting people or resources and threathening the continued operation or the organization”

Disaster management includes:

a. Development of disaster recovery plans
b. Implementation of such plans

Disaster management usually refers to the management of natural catastrophes such as: fire,
flooding, or earthquakes.

Disaster/ emergency management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. It involves
preparing for a disaster before it happens, disaster response, as well as supporting and
rebuilding society after natural or human-made disasters have occurred.

Other terms for disaster management includes:

1. Emergency management which has replaced civil defense, can be seen as more general
intent to protect the civilian population in times of peace as well as in times of war
2. Civil protection is widely used within the European Union and refers to government
approved systems and resources whose taks is to protect the civilian population, primarily
in the vent of natural and human made disaster
3. Crisis Management is the term widely used in EU countries and it emphasizes the
political and security dimension rather than meaures to satisfy the immediate needs of the
civilian population
4. Disaster Risk reduction An academic trend towards using the term is growing,
particularly for emergency management in a development management context. This
focuses on the mitigation and preparedness aspects of the emergency cycle

Reference:

Serapio, Maria Perpetua A. (2016).Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduiction. Intramuros, Manila:
Mindshapers Co.,Inc