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Disaster
Readiness and
Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 – Module 3
Exposed Elements and
Dimensions of Vulnerability

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 3: Exposed Elements and Dimensions of Vulnerability
First Edition, 2020

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over them.

Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Authors: Louise A. Ferrer, Mark Anthony C. Mamon, Emerina Clarisse R. Bernante,
Cheryl A. Retio
Editor: Ma. Lanie A. Socorro, Ed.D.
Reviewers: Raquel M. Austero, Ph.D.
Illustrator: Mark Anthony C. Mamon
Layout Artist: Louise A. Ferrer
Management Team: Malcolm S. Garma, Director IV
Genia V. Santos, CLMD Chief
Dennis M. Mendoza, Regional EPS In-Charge of LRMS
Micah S. Pacheco, Regional ADM Coordinator
Violeta M. Gonzales, CID Chief
Jennifer L. Tubello, Division EPS In-Charge of LRMS &
Division ADM Coordinator

Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education – National Capital Region

Office Address: Misamis St., Bago Bantay, Quezon City

____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Telefax: 02-929-0153
____________________________________________
E-mail Address: ____________________________________________
depedncr@deped.gov.ph
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Disaster
Readiness and
Risk Reduction
Quarter 1 – Module 3
Exposed Elements and
Dimensions of Vulnerability

This instructional material was collaboratively developed and reviewed

by educators from public and private schools, colleges, and or/universities. We
encourage teachers and other education stakeholders to email their feedback,
comments, and recommendations to the Department of Education at
action@deped.gov.ph.

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

This module adheres to the learning competencies of the K-12 Curriculum. This module
helps the learners understand exposed elements and dimensions of vulnerability
based on the principles and guidelines of disaster risk reduction and management.
This module is a useful learning material that provides the learning objectives, pretest,
lesson proper, enrichment activities, generalization, application, assessment and
additional activities.

For the learner:

This module is created to give meaningful learning of variations in vulnerability through

clear and comprehensive discussions about the concepts and through engaging and
relevant activities. This module also allows the learners to reflect and apply disaster
risk reduction and management in everyday life.

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 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. You will never know
when a disaster will strike. This module is here to help you understand the basic
concept of Exposed Elements and Vulnerability. It aims to equip you through
discussions and activities that will help you learn the concepts, terminologies, ideas,
and relevant information about the lesson.

The module is all about the Dimensions of Vulnerability as well as the

Variation of Vulnerabilities among sectors of society.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Explain the meaning of vulnerability.

2. Explain why certain sectors of society are more vulnerable to disasters than
others.

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 What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Which refers to the circumstances that make an element susceptible to the

effects of a disaster?
A. Capacity C. Hazard
B. Exposure D. Vulnerability

2. Which of the following is TRUE about exposure, vulnerability and capacity?

A. Capacity increases vulnerability.
B. Exposure decreases vulnerability.
C. Exposure increases vulnerability.
D. Capacity does not affect vulnerability.

3. Which of the following are more vulnerable when a disaster strikes?

A. Men, women and children. C. Children and elderly.
B. Laborers and entrepreneurs. D. All are of equal vulnerability.

4. Which of the following is considered under the physical dimension of

vulnerability?
A. Food supply C. Evacuation center
B. Income source D. Persons with disability

5. Which of the following shows a high level of vulnerability to hazards?

A. High population density.
B. Well-planned evacuation protocol.
C. Building construction based on standards.
D. Sufficient number of hospitals to population ratio.

6. Which physical structure is more vulnerable to a fire than an earthquake?

A. High – rise building C. Hospital
B. Wooden house D. School

7. What element of disaster risk refers to the situation of people and physical
assets located in hazard-prone areas?
A. Hazard C. Capacity
B. Exposure D. Vulnerability

8. What element at risk can be affected by drought and extreme flooding?

A. Communication C. Buildings and structures
B. Public transport system D. Agricultural commodities

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9. Existence of peace and security is what dimension of vulnerability?
A. Physical C. Economic
B. Social D. Environmental

10. Which of the following examples have low level of vulnerability?

A. Buildings constructed in reclaimed area.
B. People with limited access to medical services.
C. The population who participates in drills and trainings on emergency.
D. Inadequate monitoring and early warning systems for natural disasters.

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 Lesson
Exposed Elements and
3 Dimensions of Vulnerability

As you watch and hear news about a disaster, what information are always
mentioned and emphasized? Isn’t it that reporters mention the cause and effect of
the disaster? Moreover, information about the number of casualties, which can be
the number of deaths, injured and missing people, the infrastructures destroyed,
and the total cost of the losses are also reported. These information and data are very
important to assess the two elements of disaster risk, which are exposure and
vulnerability.

What’s In

In the last module, you learned about the basic concept of disaster and
disaster risk. Can you recall the definition of disaster and disaster risk? Moreover,
can you remember the nature and effects of disaster? It was discussed that disaster
risk drivers include poverty, rapid and unplanned urbanization, increased
population density; environmental degradation, climate change, socio-economic
inequality, weak governance, and lack of awareness. Disasters can be analyzed and
discussed in different perspectives. As you watch news about a disaster, can you
explain the catastrophic event in different perspectives?

Notes to the Teacher

Use latest events that happen in the Philippines as examples
for this lesson. Students should be engaged in reading news from
credible sources to be aware of the recent disasters that happen in
the local setting or community. Remind students to be vigilant and
to always evaluate the source before accepting it as truth.

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 What’s New

Activity 1. Shake! Shake! Shake!

Prepare the materials mentioned and perform the tasks specified in the first
column of the table below. Write the results to each task in the second column.

Materials: empty table, hardboiled egg, 3 pieces biscuit/cookie, pencil, & spoon

Task Results
1. Place the materials separately
above the table (Reserve 2
biscuits/cookies for Task 2).
Shake the table vigorously
enough to make all objects fall
to the floor. Describe the effects
to the objects.
2. Place one biscuit near the edge
of the table, while the other
biscuit is near the center.
Shake the table, enough to
make one at the edge fall, while
the other stays on top. Describe
what happens to both biscuits.

Answer the following questions:

1. Were the objects affected similarly in Task 1? Why?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

2. What do the results of Task 2 show about the effect of location to objects
exposed to disaster?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 3. How can the effects of disaster be minimized?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

What is It

Terminologies: Exposure and Vulnerability

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), formerly
known as the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR), defines exposure as the situation of people, infrastructure, housing,
production capacities and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone
areas. On other hand, vulnerability is defined as the condition determined by
physical, social, economic, and environmental factors or processes which increase
the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets or systems to the impacts of
hazards. In the first module, you learned capacity as the strengths, attributes, and
resources of a community or society to manage and reduce disaster risks.
Vulnerability arises or an outcome of a lack of or insufficient capacity. Therefore, a
greater capacity reduces vulnerability, whereas a weaker capacity promotes
vulnerability.

In Activity 1, the materials placed on the table are the exposed elements.
Notice that exposed elements may vary in vulnerability. When the capacity to reduce
disaster risks is increased, the vulnerability of exposed elements decreases.

Exposure: Elements Exposed to Hazards

Exposure refers to the elements at risk that can be affected by hazards or are
present in the hazard zones that are subject to potential losses. Exposed elements
may be tangible or intangible and can be classified into the following categories:

1. Physical Elements
- Infrastructures such as bridges, roads, railways, harbors, and airports.
- Essential facilities such schools, hospitals, fire and police stations, and
emergency shelters
- Utilities that include power, water, and gas supply
- Transportation and communication facilities

2. Societal Elements - vulnerable age groups (children and the elderly), persons
with disability (PWD), homeless, etc.

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 3. Economic Elements - business and trade activities, accessibility to work,
productivity and opportunity costs.
4. Environmental Elements – biodiversity, and environmental resources such
as land, water and air.

Dimensions of Vulnerability
The susceptibility of an individual, community, asset or system to the impacts
of hazards is determined by the physical, social, economic, and environmental
dimension. The greater the susceptibility to the effects and impacts of a hazard, the
greater the vulnerability.
1. Physical Dimension – refers to geography, location and place of the
population at risk; and the site, design and materials used for physical
structures.

Some physical structures are more vulnerable than others due to the
age of the building, poor planning, use of the building etc. Proper planning
should be considered when selecting materials for construction of a physical
structure as different materials have different strengths and weaknesses.

There is no such thing as a disaster-proof physical structure. Therefore,

its effects cannot be totally prevented. However, analyzing the vulnerability of
physical structures before a disaster hit will minimize the possible damage or
casualties.

2. Social Dimension – this includes demography; displacement and migration;

level of education and literacy; health, and well-being; social equity and access
to basic human rights; cultural beliefs, morality, and traditional values; safety
and security; and the governance aspects.

3. Economic Dimension – refers to susceptibility of an economic system to the

effects of a possible disaster. This dimension includes income, gross domestic
product, tax revenue, domestic savings, investments, financial market, and
indebtedness. The economic dimension may also refer to poverty, and lack of
access to basic services

Disasters may hinder business operations or disrupt work

arrangements, cumulatively leading to a drop in the economy.

4. Environmental Dimension – this includes the regulation of the ecosystem,

ecosystem degradation, depletion of the natural resources, habitat
destruction, and loss of biodiversity.

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Variation of Vulnerability across Sectors
Vulnerability and capacity of people may be influenced by physical, social,
economic or even political factors. Age, gender, health status and poverty greatly
affect the vulnerability of different groups. The following are some groups with
potentially higher vulnerability than others:

1. Children – They are not fully developed physically and emotionally and have
a poor capability to defend themselves from abuse and exploitation. As a
vulnerable sector they should be provided with special protection needs.

2. Senior Citizens – The elderly may have poor health conditions which can
worsen during a disaster. They would require assistance in terms of source of
income, supply of medicines or access to medical facilities.

3. Women – Some women have less opportunities for work and lower wages due
to discrimination and gender inequality. Pregnant women and those who
underwent childbirth would need pre and post-natal care.

4. Persons with Disability – They are often not reached by disaster warning
systems or are not included in disaster plans. Due to their conditions, they
would require higher level of protection and easy access to specified
healthcare.

5. Ethnic Minorities – Disaster may force indigenous people to flee from their
homes and relocate to distant places. They are vulnerable to
misrepresentation and discrimination due to cultural differences. They may
also have less of income generating opportunities when displaced by disaster
events.

6. Survivors of Conflict and Violence – Aside from physical needs, victims of

conflict and violence would also need counselling to help them recover from
disaster. They may also need protections as they are vulnerable to abuse.

7. Urban Poor - Those with low income and unsecure livelihoods are less likely
to have greater capacity to withstand its effects of disaster. It is possible that
laborers in the informal sector be displaced due to the circumstances of
disaster.

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 What’s More

Activity 2. Vulnerable: Be Cautious!

Identify and discuss the POSSIBLE dimensions of vulnerability for every
hazard listed in the first column of the table below. You can use separate sheets.

Dimensions of Vulnerability

Physical Social Economic Environmental

Hazard
Dimension Dimension Dimension Dimension
A super
1.
typhoon
A 7.5
2. magnitude
earthquake

3. Flooding

4. Fire

Disease
5. outbreak in
humans

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you need to determine the dimensions of vulnerability?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. How did you assess the possible dimensions of vulnerability in every

hazard that can occur or happen?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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Activity 3. Vulnerable Sectors
Choose any sample disaster for this activity. Complete the table below by
identifying vulnerable sectors of your community. Cite programs or measures on how
to reduce the vulnerability of the groups you identified. You can use separate sheets.

Name of community (barangay, city or province): ______________________________

Sample disaster: ____________________

Challenges faced by
Potentially Measures to Reduce their
Potentially
Vulnerable Groups Vulnerability
Vulnerable Groups
Example: Conduct art classes to boost their
Emotional instability
Children morale

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Answer the following questions:

1. Why are some sectors more vulnerable in the event of a disaster?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. What should be done to increase the capacity in order to reduce the

vulnerability of a certain sector in your community? Explain an example
from your table.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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 What I Have Learned

1. Vulnerability is defined as the condition determined by physical, social,

economic, and environmental factors or processes which increase the
susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets or systems to the impacts
of hazards.
2. Exposure refers to people, property, systems or any other elements located in
hazard-prone areas which may be lost due to disaster.
3. Elements at risk can be classified as physical, societal, economic and
environmental.
4. Dimensions of vulnerability include physical, social, economic and
environmental.
5. Vulnerable sectors include women, children, senior citizens, urban poor,
persons with disability, ethnic minorities and victims of conflict or violence.

What I Can Do

There are many animals that are now listed as endangered or extinct due to
human activities such as deforestation and poaching. They are also extremely
affected by climate change. How can you help these vulnerable animals? Remember,
it is not only people who are vulnerable. Animals are also victims of natural and man-
made hazards.

Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper

1. Which of the following would need more opportunities to generate income?

A. Senior citizens C. Urban poor
B. Children D. Formal sector

2. Which of the following refers to people, properties, systems or any other

elements in hazard-prone areas that may have losses due to disasters?
A. Capacity C. Resilience
B. Exposure D. Vulnerability

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3. Which group is more potentially vulnerable to tsunami?
A. Informal sector C. Victims of violence
B. Farmers D. All are of equal vulnerability

4. Which of the following is considered under the social dimension of

vulnerability?
A. Business operations C. Medical facilities
B. Cultural differences D. Power source

5. Which of the following is the best way to help the senior citizens cope with the
effects of disaster?
A. Provide special work arrangements.
B. Initiate transfer to nursing facilities.
C. Provide immediate medical assistance.
D. Conduct seminars promoting recovery.

6. Which of the following can be classified as environmental vulnerability?

A. Inaccessible roads after an earthquake.
B. Agricultural plains contaminated by chemicals.
C. Lack of peace and security in community borders.
D. Residential areas being flooded after a super typhoon.

7. Which of the following challenges is faced by ethnic minorities when coping

with hazards?
A. Displacement C. Language differences
B. Loss of livelihood D. All of the above

8. Which of the following is true about the vulnerability of various sectors of

society?
A. Some sectors are not vulnerable to disasters.
B. All sectors are equally vulnerable to disasters.
C. Some sectors are more vulnerable than others.
D. None of the above.

9. The design and type of materials used in an establishment is under what

dimension of vulnerability?
A. Physical C. Economic
B. Social D. Environmental

10. Which of the following can be done to reduce the vulnerability of children?
A. Ensure gender equality.
B. Conduct parenting seminar to parents.
C. Provide opportunities to generate income.
D. Transfer them to facilities where they can stay with others of the same age.

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 Additional Activities

Read a newspaper or check news online. Try to find a news article about an
occurrence of a disaster. List the possible elements at risk and vulnerable sectors of
the community, institution, city, or province affected by the disaster.

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References

Cardona, O.D., M.K. van Aalst, J. Birkmann, M. Fordham, G. McGregor, R. Perez,

R.S. Pulwarty, E.L.F. Schipper, and B.T. Sinh. 2012. Determinants of risk:
exposure and vulnerability. In: Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and
Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation [Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F.
Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach, G.-K.
Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. A Special Report of
Working Groups I and II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, and New York, NY, USA,
pp. 65-108.

Commission on Higher Education. 2016. Teaching Guide for Senior High School:
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction.
Department of Education. 2008. Disaster Risk Reduction Resource Manual (Safer
Schools Resource Manual. Retrieved from http://psba.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2018/07/Disaster-Risk-Reduction-Resource-Manual-
2008.pdf

Department of Education-Bureau of Learning Resources. 2017. Disaster Readiness

and Risk Reduction - Reader. Pasig City.
Parena Jr., J.S., & Ramos, J.D.A. 2016. Exploring Life through Science Series:
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. Quezon City: Phoenix Publishing
House, Inc.

Quebral, V.S. 2016. Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. Cubao, Quezon City:
Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
United States Agency for International Development (n.d.). ASEAN Regional Risk and
Vulnerability Assessment Guidelines. Retrieved from https://asean.org/wp-
content/uploads/2012/05/ASEAN-Regional-RVA-Guidelines-final.pdf
United States Agency for International Development. 2011. Introduction to Disaster
Risk Reduction. Retrieved from
https://www.preventionweb.net/files/26081_kp1concepdisasterrisk1.pdf

Websites:

 https://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/terminology
 http://www.adpc.net/casita/course-materials/Mod-3-Vul-Risk.pdf
 http://drm.cenn.org/training_materials/Session%2004%20Elements%20at%2
0risk.pdf
 https://www.preventionweb.net/risk
 https://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/disaster-management/about-
disasters/what-is-a-disaster/what-is-vulnerability/

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – (Bureau/Office)

(Office Address)

Telefax:

Email Address:

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