The earth has been affected by the natural hazards over a long period of time.

Based on
experience, the Philippines is the most disaster prone –country in Asia. It is because of its
geographical location. It is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire which is surrounded with many
subduction zones that may cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions landslides, typhoons, and
tsunamis. It very impossible to stop natural disaster hitting our country; all we can do is to
manage risks.
Disaster is any occurrence that causes ecological disruption, damage to human life
loss, health services and health deterioration. It can be also defined as the series or event
disrupts the normal activities seriously. Disaster means a sudden or great misfortune.
Whether a disaster is man-made or natural, it can occur at anytime and anywhere.
General response to any disaster is thereby in terms of rescue and relief operations which are
after the event. If we are well and adequately prepared, it is very easy to reduce the impact of
disaster. There can be reduction of the impact through being aware by understanding well the
preventive actions, together with having knowledge of particular tools and techniques; at the
time of disaster event these tools and techniques can be used to control total damage to
properties and life.
Disaster preparedness is an activity for life loss and damage minimization.
Preparedness is the best way of reducing disaster impact. Disaster relief is a multi-agency
coordinated response of reducing disaster impact and its results of long-term. These activities
may include relocation, rescue, water and food provisions, preventing disability and disease,
repair of vital services like transport, provision of temporary shelter and health care emergency.
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aims to reduce the damage caused by natural hazards like
earthquakes, floods, droughts and cyclones, through an ethic of prevention. Disasters often
follow natural hazards. A disaster's severity depends on how much impact a hazard has on
society and the environment. The scale of the impact in turn depends on the choices we make
for our lives and for our environment. These choices relate to how we grow our food, where and
how we build our homes, what kind of government we have, how our financial system works
and even what we teach in schools. Each decision and action makes us more vulnerable to
disasters - or more resilient to them.
Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through
systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of disasters. Reducing exposure to
hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the
environment, and improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events are all
examples of disaster risk reduction.
Disaster risk reduction includes disciplines like disaster management, disaster mitigation
and disaster preparedness, but DRR is also part of sustainable development. In order for
development activities to be sustainable they must also reduce disaster risk. On the other hand,
unsound development policies will increase disaster risk - and disaster losses. Thus, DRR
involves every part of society, every part of government, and every part of the professional and
private sector.