PATEROS CATHOLIC SCHOOL

F. Imson St., Pateros, Metro Manila

Accredited: PAASCU Level 2
STEM
(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
Hand-Outs
A.Y. 2021 - 2022

Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

Instructor/Facilitator Ms. Erica Reyes / Ms. Kimberly Vargas
Appointment Period 1st Grading- 2nd Semester
Classroom Instruction Four Times a Week
Period Length 60 minutes per Classroom Period

LESSON 1: Basic Concept of Disaster and Disaster Risk

I. Concept of Disaster
Key Terminologies:
Natural Phenomena
- Physical events which are generally separated into
categories such as atmospheric, geologic, and
hydrologic phenomena
Natural Hazard
- An implication that the natural phenomenon has
the POTENTIAL to cause damage to humans,
human structures, or human activities.
Hazard
- A potentially damaging physical event, social and
economic disruption or environmental degradation.
- A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human
activity or condition that MAY cause loss of life,
injury or other health impacts, property damage,
loss of livelihoods and services, social and
economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Transformation of natural phenomenon to hazard

- A natural event becomes a hazard if it poses a threat to people
Transformation of hazard to disaster
- Disaster happens when the probable destructive agent, the hazard, hits a
vulnerable populated area.
DISASTER
A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving
widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses and impacts which
exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own
resources.

Concept of Disaster:
A disaster happens when the probable destructive agent, the hazard, hits a
vulnerable populated area. A natural event like a volcanic eruption or tsunami which an
uninhabited area does not qualify as a disaster. It becomes a disaster only if it hits
vulnerable population and properties—in short, if there are victims.

The relationship between Hazard, Disaster, and Vulnerability.

Characteristics of Disaster:
- Disasters are inherently unexpected or come quickly with little or no warning that
cause widespread damage.
- Disasters cannot be managed through normal means. It creates a demand
beyond the capacity of a government.

1. Knows no political boundary

2. Requires restructured and new responding organization
 3. Creates new tasks and requires more people as disaster responders
4. Exposes lack of disaster planning, response and coordination

Impacts of Disaster Philippines is a country that lies in

1. Medical Effects the Pacific Ring of Fire, it is prone
2. Damage to critical facilities to earthquakes and volcanic
3. Disruption of transportation eruptions. In addition, the country
4. Economic Impact is surrounded by large bodies of
5. Global Environmental Change water and facing the Pacific Ocean
6. Social and Political Impacts where 60% of the world's typhoons
are made.

DISASTER RISK
Disaster risk is considered as the combination of the severity and frequency of a
hazard, the numbers of people and assets exposed to the hazard, and their vulnerability
to damage (UNISDR, 2015a)
According to the UNDRR, disaster risk is defined as“the potential loss of life, injury,
or destroyed or damaged assets which could occur to a system, society or a community
in a specific period of time, determined probabilistically as a function of hazard,
exposure, and capacity”.

Elements of Disaster Risk:

a. Hazard- a potentially damaging
physical event, social and economic
disruption or environmental
degradation.
b. Vulnerability- Refers to factors,
such as physical, social, economic
and environmental that increase the
susceptibility to the impact of
hazard.
c. Exposure- Refers to the number
of people or structures within the
exposed area
 Risk = Hazard x Exposure x Vulnerability

According to this formula, if there is no hazard, then the risk is null (the same if the
population or vulnerability is null). The occurrence of natural disasters like earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions cannot be prevented, nut reducing exposure and vulnerability
can minimize their impact.