Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

Genecom Institute of Science and Technology, Inc.

Genecom Learning and Tutorial Center
Libon Private High School, Inc.
January 2022

Name: ____________________________________ Strand: ________________

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 Introduction:
A disaster is defined as a "sudden or great misfortune" or simply
"any unfortunate event." More precisely, a disaster is "an event whose
timing is unexpected and whose consequences are seriously
destructive."
Disaster can be classified into two categories; NATURAL and
MAN-MADE.
A natural disaster is a natural process or phenomenon 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.
On other hand, Human-instigated/man-made disasters are
the consequence of technological or human hazards.
Knowing the concept of disaster is not merely learning it for the
purpose of the passing the subject, it is learning and applying Disaster
Response, measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of
disaster. That is, to predict and, where possible, prevent disasters,
mitigate their impact on vulnerable population, and respond to and
effectively cope with their consequences.

Module Lesson and Coverage

INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION
This module is designed for you to:
 Explain the meaning of disaster.

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 Pre Test

Direction: Tick the column that best describes your understanding

on Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction. Do this as
objectively as possible.

Agree Disagree
1. A disaster is an event whose timing is
unexpected and whose consequences
are seriously destructive.
2. A natural disaster is a natural process or
phenomenon that may cause loss of life,
injury or other health impacts
3. Human-instigated/man-made disasters
are the consequence of technological
or human hazards.
4. Disaster Response are measures taken
to prepare for and reduce the effects of
disaster.
5. Various phenomena like earthquakes,
landslides, volcanic eruptions, floods,
hurricanes, tornadoes and tsunamis are
all examples of natural disaster.

Essay:
Why do we need to prepare for a disaster?
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 INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER READINESS
AND RISK REDUCTION

What is a disaster?
A disaster is defined as a "sudden or great misfortune" or simply
"any unfortunate event." More precisely, a disaster is "an event whose
timing is unexpected and whose consequences are seriously
destructive." These definitions identify an event that includes three
elements:
 Suddenness
 Unexpectedness
 Significant destruction and/or adverse consequences

However, a fourth element, lack of foresight or planning, is

sometimes added. Disasters occur with unnerving frequency. Their
adverse consequences increase for those who do not prepare for
predictable contingencies.
Disasters are routinely divided into natural or human-made.
Although complex disasters, where there is no single root cause, are
more common in developing countries. A specific disaster may
spawn a secondary disaster that increases the impact. A classic
example is an earthquake that causes a tsunami, resulting in coastal
flooding. Some manufactured disasters have been ascribed to
nature.
Some researchers also differentiate between recurring events
such as seasonal flooding, and those considered unpredictable.

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Natural Disasters
A natural disaster is a natural process or phenomenon 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.
Various phenomena like earthquakes, landslides, volcanic
eruptions, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, tsunamis, cyclones
and pandemics are all natural hazards that kill thousands of people
and destroy billions of dollars of habitat and property each year.

However, the rapid growth of the world's population and its

increased concentration often in hazardous environments has
escalated both the frequency and severity of disasters. With the
tropical climate and unstable landforms, coupled with deforestation,
unplanned growth proliferation, non-engineered constructions make
the disaster-prone areas more vulnerable.
Developing countries suffer more or less chronically from
natural disasters due to ineffective communication combined with
insufficient budgetary allocation for disaster prevention and
management.

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Human-Made Disasters
Human-instigated disasters are the consequence of
technological or human hazards. Examples include stampedes, fires,
transport accidents, industrial accidents, oil spills, terrorist attacks,
nuclear explosions/nuclear radiation. War and deliberate attacks
may also be put in this category.
Other types of induced disasters include the more cosmic
scenarios of catastrophic global warming, nuclear war, and
bioterrorism.
One opinion argues that all disasters can be seen as human-
made, due to human failure to introduce appropriate emergency
management measures.

Risk
The possibility of something bad happening. It involves
uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect
to something that human value (such as health, well-being, wealth,
property or the environment), often focusing on negative,
undesirable consequences.

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Disaster Risk
The consequence of the interaction between hazard and the
characteristics that make people and places vulnerable and
exposed.
It is also expressed as the probability/possibility of loss of life,
injury or destruction and damage from a disaster in a given period of
time.
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).
Disaster risk has many characteristics. In order to understand
disaster risk, it is essential to understand that it is:
1. Forward Looking, the likelihood of loss of life, destruction and
damage in a given period of time.
2. Dynamic: it can increase or decrease according to our ability
to reduce vulnerability.
3. Invisible: it is comprised of not only the threat of high-impact
events, but also the frequent, low-impact events that are often
hidden.
4. Unevenly distributed around the earth: hazards affects
different areas, but the pattern of disaster risk reflects the social
construction of exposure and vulnerability in different
countries.
5. Emergent and complex: many processes, including climate
change and globalized economic development, are creating
new, interconnected risks.

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Disaster Risk Management
The application of disaster risk reduction policies and strategies
to prevent new disaster risk, reduce existing disaster risk and manage
residual risk, contributing to the strengthening resilience and
reduction of disaster losses.

Disaster Response
Disaster preparedness refers to the measures taken to prepare
for and reduce the effects of disaster. That is, to predict and, where
possible, prevent disasters, mitigate their impact on vulnerable
population, and respond to and effectively cope with their
consequences.

The following table categorizes some disasters and notes first

response initiatives.

Disaster

Example Profile First response

The sudden, drastic

Natural Shut off utilities;
flow of snow down a
Evacuate building if
slope, occurring
when either natural necessary;
Avalanche Determine impact
triggers, such as
on the equipment
loading from new
and facilities and
snow or rain, or
any disruption
artificial triggers,
such as explosives or

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 backcountry skiers,
overload the
snowpack

Power off all

A severe snowstorm
equipment; listen to
characterized by
blizzard advisories;
Blizzard very strong winds
Evacuate area, if
and low
unsafe; Assess
temperatures
damage

The shaking of the

Shut off utilities;
earth's crust, caused
Evacuate building if
by underground
necessary;
volcanic forces of
Earthquake Determine impact
breaking and
on the equipment
shifting rock
and facilities and
beneath the earth's
any disruption
surface

Attempt to suppress
fire in early stages;
Fires that originate in Evacuate personnel
uninhabited areas on alarm, as
Fire (wild) and which pose the necessary; Notify
risk to spread to fire department;
inhabited areas Shut off utilities;
Monitor weather
advisories

Flood Flash flooding: Small Monitor flood

creeks, gullies, dry advisories;

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 streambeds, ravines, Determine flood
culverts or even low- potential to
lying areas flood facilities; Pre-stage
quickly emergency power
generating
equipment; Assess
damage

Rain occurring when Monitor weather

Freezing outside surface advisories; arrange
rain temperature is for snow and ice
below freezing removal

Listen to weather
A prolonged period advisories; Power-
of excessively hot off all servers after a
weather relative to graceful shutdown if
the usual weather there is imminent
Heat wave pattern of an area potential of power
and relative to failure; Shut down
normal main electric circuit
temperatures for the usually located in
season the basement or the
first floor

Power off all

equipment; listen to
hurricane
Heavy rains and
Hurricane advisories;
high winds Evacuate area, if
flooding is possible;
Check gas, water
and electrical lines

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 for damage; Do not
use telephones, in
the event of severe
lightning; Assess
damage

Geological
Shut off utilities;
phenomenon which
Evacuate building if
includes a range of
necessary;
ground movement,
Landslide Determine impact
such as rock falls,
on the equipment
deep failure of
and facilities and
slopes and shallow
any disruption
debris flows

Power off all

equipment; listen to
hurricane
advisories;
Evacuate area, if
An electrical
flooding is possible;
Lightning discharge caused by
Check gas, water
strike lightning, typically
and electrical lines
during thunderstorms
for damage; Do not
use telephones, in
the event of severe
lightning; Assess
damage

Shut off utilities;

Limnic The sudden eruption Evacuate building if
eruption of carbon dioxide necessary;
Determine impact

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 from deep lake on the equipment
water and facilities and
any disruption

Monitor tornado
Violent rotating advisories; Power off
columns of air which equipment; Shut off
Tornado descend from severe utilities (power and
thunderstorm cloud gas); Assess
systems damage once
storm passes

A series of waves
hitting shores
strongly, mainly
caused by the
displacement of a
large volume of a Power off all
body of water, equipment; listen to
typically an ocean or tsunami advisories;
a large lake, usually Evacuate area, if
Tsunami caused by flooding is possible;
earthquakes, Check gas, water
volcanic eruptions, and electrical lines
underwater for damage; Assess
explosions, damage
landslides, glacier
calvings, meteorite
impacts and other
disturbances above
or below water

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 Shut off utilities;
Evacuate building if
The release of hot
necessary;
Volcanic magma, volcanic
Determine impact
eruption ash and/or gases
on the equipment
from a volcano
and facilities and
any disruption

Get information
immediately
from public
health officials via
the news media as
The intentional to the right course
release or of action; If you
Bioterrorism dissemination of think you have
biological agents as been exposed,
a means of coercion quickly remove your
clothing and wash
off your skin; put on
Human- a HEPA to help
made prevent inhalation
of the agent[12]

A disturbance
caused by a group
of people that may
include sit-ins and Contact local
Civil unrest police or law
other forms of
obstructions, riots, enforcement
sabotage and other
forms of crime, and
which is intended to

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 be a demonstration
to the public and the
government, but
can escalate into
general chaos

Attempt to suppress
fire in early stages;
Evacuate personnel
Even with strict
on alarm, as
building fire codes,
Fire (urban) necessary; Notify
people still perish
fire department;
needlessly in fires
Shut off utilities;
Monitor weather
advisories

The escape of solids,

liquids, or gases that Leave the area and
can harm people, call the local fire
other living department for
Hazardous
organisms, property help. If anyone was
material
or the environment, affected by the spill,
spills
from their intended call your local
controlled Emergency Medical
environment such as Services line.
a container.

An event involving Recognize that a

Nuclear significant release of CBRN incident has
and radioactivity to the or may occur.
radiation environment or a Gather, assess and
accidents reactor core disseminate all
meltdown and available

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 which leads to major information to first
undesirable responders.
consequences to Establish an
people, the overview of the
environment, or the affected area.
facility Provide and obtain
regular updates to
and from first
responders.

Wait 5–10 minutes;

power off all servers
after a graceful
Caused by summer
shutdown; do not
or winter storms,
use telephones, in
Power lightning or
the event of severe
failure construction
lightning; shut down
equipment digging
main electric circuit
in the wrong location
usually located in
the basement or the
first floor

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 Activity 1
Direction: Using the given table, discuss your possible response on
the following natural and/or man-made disasters.

Note: Copied answer from the given table on the previous

page will be considered invalid.

Disaster Response Table

Disaster Profile Response
Earthquake The shaking of the
earth's crust, caused by
underground volcanic
forces of breaking and
Flood Flash flooding: Small
creeks, gullies, dry
streambeds, ravines,
culverts or even low-
lying areas flood
quickly.
Typhoon A giant, rotating storm
that brings wind, rain,
and destruction.
Tsunami A series of waves hitting
shores strongly, mainly
caused by the
displacement of a
large volume of a body
of water

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 Volcanic The release of hot
Eruption magma, volcanic ash
and/or gases from a
volcano
Terrorism Criminal acts intended
or calculated to
provoke a state of
terror in the general
public.
Nuclear An explosion that
explosions occurs as a result of the
rapid release of energy
from a high-speed
nuclear reaction.
Fire A mishap that could be
Accident either man-made or
natural. Occurs
frequently and can be
controlled but many
times result in severe
loss of life and property.
Transport Used to describe
Accident technological transport
accidents involving
mechanized mode of
transportation. Directly
caused by the driving
of motor or vehicle, a
railway train or a tram.
Hazardous The escape of solids,
material liquids, or gases that
spills can harm people,
other living organisms,
property or the

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 environment, from their
intended controlled
environment such as a
container.

Post Test:
Identification:
Instruction: Identify the word/s being described in each item. Write
your answer on the blank provided before each number.
______________ 1. It is defined as a "sudden or great misfortune" or
simply "any unfortunate event."

______________ 2. It is a type of disaster in a natural process or

phenomenon that may cause loss of life, injury or
other health impacts.

______________ 3. This refers to the measures taken to prepare for and

reduce the effects of disaster.

______________ 4. Various phenomena like earthquakes, landslides,

volcanic eruptions, floods, and typhoon are all
example of natural hazards or ______________.
______________ 5. It is a type of disaster that is a consequence of
technological or human hazards.

______________ 6. The shaking of the earth's crust, caused by

underground volcanic forces of breaking and
shifting rock beneath the earth's surface.

______________ 7. Geological phenomenon which includes a range

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 of ground movement, such as rock falls, deep failure
of slopes and shallow debris flows.

______________ 8. It is an event whose timing is unexpected and

whose consequences are seriously destructive.

______________ 9. A prolonged period of excessively hot weather

relative to the usual weather pattern of an area
and relative to normal temperatures for the season.

______________10. A disturbance caused by a group of people that

may include sit-ins and other forms of obstructions,
riots, sabotage and other forms of crime.

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 Essay:

In your own words, explain the meaning of disaster.

You will be graded based on the following criteria:

Standards for Grading

Content 5 points
Creativity and Originality 3 points
Grammar 2 points
Total 10 points

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 Let’s do the Recap!
 A disaster is an event whose timing is unexpected and whose
consequences are seriously destructive.
 Disaster can be classified into two categories; NATURAL and
MAN-MADE.
 A natural disaster is a natural process or phenomenon 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.
 Human-instigated/man-made disasters are the consequence
of technological or human hazards.

Reference/s:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster

https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/fa/management/records/disaster-guide-disaster

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