PM 211 LESSON 2

RISK,
VULNERABILITY,
AND CAPACITY
CONCEPT OF
VULNERABILITY
VULNERABILITY
The characteristics and circumstances of a
community, system, or asset that make it
susceptible to the damaging effects of a
hazard.
WHY DOES VULNERABILITY
MATTER?
 By including vulnerability in our
understanding of disaster risk, we
acknowledge the fact that disaster risk not
only depends on the severity of hazard or the
number of people or assets exposed, but that
it is also a reflection of the susceptibility of
people and economic assets to suffer loss
and damage.
 lack of public information and
VULNERABLE 1
awareness

POPULATIONS 2
disregard for wise environmental
management

3
poor design and construction of
buildings

4
those who live near disaster prone
areas

What are other 5 limited preparedness measures

vulnerabilities 6 limited recognition of risks

can you think
of? 7 lack of resources
FACTORS AFFECTING
VULNERABILITY
PHYSICAL FACTORS
e.g. poor design and construction of
buildings, unregulated land use
planning, etc.
FACTORS AFFECTING
VULNERABILITY
SOCIAL FACTORS
e.g. poverty and inequality,
marginalization, social exclusion
and discrimination by gender, social
status, disability and age (amongst
other factors) psychological
factors, etc.
FACTORS AFFECTING
VULNERABILITY
ECONOMIC FACTORS
e.g. the uninsured informal sector,
vulnerable rural livelihoods,
dependence on single industries,
globalisation of business and supply
chains, etc.
FACTORS AFFECTING
VULNERABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
e.g. poor environmental
management, overconsumption of
natural resources, decline of risk
regulating ecosystem services,
climate change, etc.
CONCEPT OF
CAPACITY
CAPACITY
The combination of all the strengths,
attributes, and resources available
within a family, community, society, or
organization that can be used to
achieve agreed goals. In disaster risk
reduction, capacities are used to lessen
the adverse impacts of a disaster,
prepare for emergencies, and recover
from a disaster.
VULNERABILITY CAPACITY
ASSESSMENT
According to Benson, VCA is typically applied as:

A diagnostic tool to understand problems and their

underlying causes.
A planning tool to prioritise and sequence actions
and inputs.
A risk assessment tool to help assess specific risks.
A tool for empowering and mobilising vulnerable
communities.
 Barangay ABC, a rural
community situated along the
banks of a major river, is
known to be flood-prone due
to heavy rainfall during the
monsoon season. The
community comprises
approximately 800
households with varying levels
of vulnerability and capacity
to respond to flooding.
 The community has basic
infrastructure, but most
roads and bridges are poorly
constructed and prone to
damage during floods,
isolating the barangay from
neighboring areas.
 A significant portion of the community consists of
informal settlements, constructed with vulnerable
materials, making them more prone to flood damage.

In addition, a substantial percentage of the population

lives below the poverty line, limiting access to
resources and reducing their ability to cope with and
recover from flood impacts. There are also no
established early warning system in the barangay to
alert residents about impending floods, leading to
delayed evacuation and increased risks.
List 5 factors or situation which
increases the vulnerability of
Barangay ABC to flooding.
CONCEPT
OF RISK
RISK
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, vulnerability and capacity.
HAZARDS VS.
RISKS
CONCEPTS OF
DRM
HAZARDS

RISKS

VULNERABILITY

CAPACITY
DISASTER RISK EQUATION