DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION

Disaster Risk
- Disasters pose various risk to society according to United Nations International Strategy on Disaster
Reduction (ISDR), disaster risk is the potential loss in lives, health status, livelihoods and various assets which
are often challenging to quantify. However, by having knowledge on the scientific and local context behind
hazards, disaster risks can be assessed and mapped.
TWO TYPES OF DISASTER RISK:
1. Intensive risk- involve the exposure of large number of people in a specific geographic area to extreme
events that can further lead to catastrophic disaster impacts involving high mortality rate and asset loss.
2. Extensive risk- is concerned more on the exposure of dispersed populations to various hazards of low or
moderate intensity.

TWO TYPES DISASTER BASED ON THEIR ONSET

1. Acute- natural disaster with acute onset include events such as earthquake, flood, hurricane or typhoon,
tornado, fire, tsunami, or storm surge, avalanche, volcanic eruption, extreme cold or blizzard and heat wave.
2. Slow- it is a gradual onset that include famine, desertification, deforestation, and pest infestation.

Natural Hazard
- Natural hazards are phenomena that may cause severe death toll, damages to property, environment and
socio-economic condition of communities. There are different types of natural hazards depending on their
precursors.
THREE BROAD CATEGORIES OF NATURAL HAZARD:
1. Biological hazard- this is directly linked to an origin caused by exposure of living organisms to toxic
substances and microorganisms that can cause sickness. Examples of biological hazards include epidemic
diseases caused by viral and bacterial infection. Example: cholera, COVID-19
2. Geologic hazard- in this hazard, events that originated in solid ground count as major precursor. These
include earthquake, volcanic eruptions and emissions, and other secondary hazards such as landslides and
mudflows. These hazards undoubtedly cause mortality and damages, as well as impacts to other facets of
society.
3. Hydrometeorological hazard- this hazard includes typhoons, thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods and even
drought, among others. Basically, this involves phenomena that are of atmospheric, hydrological or
oceanographic nature that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts.
Human-induced Hazards
- This kind of hazard sprouts from technological or industrial conditions which include infrastructure failures
or specific human activities. Technological hazards can also come into play due to impact of natural hazard
like the Japan earthquake in 2011 which caused nuclear contamination. Aside from nuclear accidents, other
technological or man-made disasters include bombings and bioterrorism. These armed conflicts are one of
the worst disasters that can claim lives and displace large numbers of people.

Exposure
- Is another concept in disaster risk. This refer to people and properties that are affected by hazards. Exposure
can be measured by number of people or types of assets in an area. Magnitude of exposure varies
depending on location and interaction of elements.
Vulnerability
- Disaster affect various group of people differently. The concept of vulnerability explains how people and the
differences among them contribute to the situation or context wherein they operate. Vulnerability comes in
many types, namely: social, psychological, and physical.