Unit 3

Hazards
Table of Contents
Introduction 3

Essential Questions 5

Lesson 1: Hazards 7

Starting Out 7
Learn about It 7
Check Your Understanding 10
Explore Your World 11
Case Study 12

Lesson 2: Types of Hazards 13

Starting Out 13
Learn about It 13
Check Your Understanding 15
Explore Your World 16
Case Study 17

Lesson 3: Impacts of Hazards on Exposed Elements 18

Starting Out 18
Learn about It 18
Check Your Understanding 20
Explore Your World 21
Case Study 22

Real World Challenge 23

Check and Reflect 24

Wrap Up 24

1
Bibliography 26

Glossary 27

Answers to Check Your Understanding 29

2
GRADE 11/12 |Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

Unit 3

Hazards
Understanding hazards are essential in improving the quality of response to disaster risk
reduction.

A geohazard assessment study and map were provided by the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) to the city government of
Cagayan de Oro in response to the severe flooding in 2009. Before Typhoon Sendong, with an
international name Washi, hit the area last December 17, 2011, locals were warned of more
than a meter rise in the river water level. The typhoon-induced actual flood reached six
meters causing many lives and properties in communities from 25 barangays. There was an
apparent lack of coordination between the local officials and the residents. Moreover, the
rescuers and the resources of the local government were not enough to handle the
emergency situation simultaneously in all the areas.

Fig. 1. Aftermath of Typhoon Sendong in Mindanao.

SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget, Typhoon Sendong aftermath, CC BY 2.0

3
Are studies and warnings enough to mobilize locals to respond to the threats of natural
events? How does understanding of hazards help people prepare for disaster risk reduction
and comply with the warnings and directives? What else can the locals and the government
do to train people how to be prepared in cases of impending hazards?

Fig. 2. Aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda in Samar.

Lawrence Ruiz, Basey after Yolanda, CC BY-SA 4.0

The reported death toll of Typhoon Yolanda with an international name Haiyan last
November, 21013, reached 10,000. The typhoon passed south of San Pedro Bay at the
northwest end of Leyte Gulf, and it marked a historic and catastrophic event. Was it just the
severity of the typhoon that has caused this impact? Why has Yolanda captured global
attention on the topic of storm surges?

4
 ● What is a hazard?
● What are the various types of hazards?
● What are the impacts of various types of hazards on different exposed elements?
● What can be done to minimize or diminish the impacts of hazards in the community?

In this unit, you should be able to:

● define hazard;
● give examples of types of hazards; and
● explain the impacts of various hazards on different exposed elements.

● A natural event or phenomena is a physical event that is natural in origin (geological,

hydrometeorological or biological).
● Vulnerability increases the susceptibility of a given community to the impact of a
hazard. Vulnerability is affected by physical, social, economic and environmental factors
or processes.
● Exposure is the degree or likelihood that a hazard will be experienced by elements at
risk. Exposure comes in varying degrees depending on the proximity of exposed
elements to hazards and the magnitude of the hazard event.
● A disaster happens when the impact of hazards on human lives and the
socio-economic activities is significant and extensive.
● A catastrophe is bigger than a disaster. For some, the damage caused by Typhoon
Yolanda is considered a catastrophe.
● World Risk Index is calculated by Alliance Development Works/Bündnis Entwicklung
Hilft (BEH) and United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human
Security. It calculates the natural disaster risks for 171 countries. It is released annually
by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (BEH).
5
● Climate is the average weather conditions of a place or regions of the Earth observed
over a period of years. The weather conditions include temperature, wind velocity, and
precipitation.
● The Plate Tectonics Theory states that the lithosphere is made up of several plates
that move either by floating on or gliding over the asthenosphere. Seismic and tectonic
activity occur at the plate boundaries.
● Volcanoes that are located at the plate boundaries in the Pacific Ocean area are
observed to form a “ring.” This area is called the Pacific Ring of Fire.

In the World Risk Index, the Philippines ranked third. The ranking is based on the vulnerability
and exposure to natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods and storms, storm surges, volcanic
eruptions and the effects of lahar, landslides, and drought. Located in between the South China
Sea and the Pacific Ocean with more than 7,000 islands, seated near a destructive plate
boundary, and a growing population of 105 million; our country’s challenges are to reduce
disaster risks and strengthen its coping capacity when a disaster strikes.

Fig. 3. The Philippines is in the Ring of Fire (left) and the Northwest Pacific Ocean cyclone basin (right).

When and where do we start with these challenges? How do we apply our knowledge on hazards
to develop a program on disaster risk reduction? How do we make disaster risk reduction a way
of life?

6
A volcanic eruption is a natural event but it is not always considered as a hazard. How is a
natural event transformed into a hazard?

Think-Pair-Share

From the information below, decide which situation is potentially hazardous. Provide a
reasoning to your choice.

Volcano A Volcano B

Location Camiguin Island Babuyan Islands Group

Historical eruptions 5 6

Population 81,000 0 (volcano islands)

When is a natural event considered a hazard?

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction defines hazard as a natural
event or a human activity that has the potential of causing loss of life, injury or other health
impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.
Hazards are future threats coming from different origins. Natural events are geological,
hydrometeorological, and biological in origin. Environmental degradation and technological
hazards are results of human activities.

7
What makes a natural event or a human activity a threat to life or property? Is it the
size of the natural event or is it the size of its impact?

Take, for instance, the earthquake that struck the southwest of New Zealand with a
magnitude of 7.6 on July 15, 2009. It was a powerful earthquake, but the threat was little
because the area was thinly populated with only a few buildings. The Haiti earthquake with a
lesser magnitude of 7.0 on January 12, 2010, caused the death of 46,000 lives. The Haiti
earthquake was less severe than New Zealand’s, yet its impact was extensive.

Fig. 1. A man walks past a sign on a building damaged by the earthquake in Haiti

When the natural event is close to or at the center of a populated area, such as the case in the
Haiti earthquake, that natural event is transformed into a hazard. Natural events such as
volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, or floods will remain as natural events when they do not
impact human lives or property. Population and economic development predict the likelihood
of the hazard.

8
 Hazards are potential threats to human life and property. That threat is determined by
demographics, urbanization, poverty, and environment.

Hazard completes the three elements of disaster risk. Hazard, exposure, and vulnerability
increase the occurrence of disaster risk. Combining the three elements, the damage to life
and property becomes significant. A hazard can transform into a disaster depending on
exposure and vulnerability. Underlying the three elements are human decisions and actions.
Where to live, what to build, and what livelihoods to participate in, are questions and
decisions that affect the levels of exposures to hazards. Living and health conditions,
resources and skills define vulnerabilities. The frequency of hazardous events, therefore,
greatly depends on socioeconomic conditions and activities.

Fig. 2. The elements of disaster risk.

9
A. Identification.
1. A potential threat that causes life and property damage is called ___________________.
2- 4. The three elements of a disaster risk are:
___________________, ___________________, ___________________.
5. An example of a natural event origin is ___________________.

B. Refer to headings to complete the table below.

Natural Event, Hazard
Situation Reason
or a Disaster?
Mt. Mayon : Alert Level 1 1. 2.

Storm surge in Tacloban 3. 4.

City during Typhoon Haiyan
landfall, November 2013

C. Use the criteria to evaluate the following situations. Recommend solutions based on the
evaluation. Use the table provided in the next page for your answers.

From a satellite image of a city with a population of 11 million, its northern metropolis is
reportedly subsiding at a rate of 5.5 to 6 cm per year. The coastal areas and the tributaries
west of this metropolis were reclaimed areas. Fishpond operators in some of these areas
are pumping groundwater. Garbage often obstruct waterways, and heavy downpours
cause flood. A few areas remain submerged underwater for longer periods of time. Local
efforts are on the way to save the region from sinking.

10
 Will it contribute to the threat?
Criteria Description
Why or why not?
Population 1. 2.

Urbanization 3. 4.

Environment 5. 6.

Recommendations: (7)

Your goal is to identify, map out, and assess the hazard areas in your school. You part of a
hazard assessment team project, and you need to present a project plan. You are to
collaborate with the four other team members to achieve your goal.

Organize your project plant and output, using a storyboard to show the flow of steps. Use
half-sized bond papers for the boards. Each step should be represented by a board with the
following elements: title of each step; simple illustrations or graphics; labels and arrows,
pop-outs or dropdowns for more details or add-ons; and a description of each step including
resource and time requirements.

Paste these boards on manila paper in the correct sequence and add arrows to show the flow
of the whole process. Ask another team to test your storyboard.

11
The Big One

The Marikina West Valley Fault runs through the cities of Marikina, Quezon City, Pasig,
Makati, Taguig, and Muntinlupa. The last movement of this fault caused a major
earthquake in the year 1658. Seismologists say it is “ripe for movement” soon. To
prepare the public, especially the residents near the fault system, Phivolcs launched an
interactive Value Fault System (VFS) Atlas where people can check if their homes are
near the West Valley Fault. For more accurate information such as reading the map,
Phivolcs is encouraging the public to get in touch with the agency.

Let us investigate!
● What parts of the National Capital Region gets affected when the Big One strikes?
● Where can people go to verify the accuracy of information and preparation about
the Big One?
● Who are the most exposed to hazard when the Big One strikes?
● Why do people need to understand the hazard if the Big One can happen anytime?
● What are the possible effects of this occurrence to all?

12
Various hazards exist and each can be natural or induced by human activities. What are the
various types of hazards?

Create a classification of the hazards listed below. Include all the hazards from the word list.
Earthquakes Epidemics in humans
Floods Drought
Nuclear accidents Lahat
Tsunami Fire
Landslides Ground Subsidence
Storm surge Dam Collapse

How did you classify these hazards? What is your basis in classifying hazards?

The understanding of hazards includes the knowledge of the what, where, when, why, and
how we can help in reducing the impact of hazards on human lives, socio-economic activities,
and the environment. Hazards are of different origins. They vary in size and impact. Hazards
can be induced by human activities, or they can be results of the interactions of the natural
phenomena and human activities.

UNISDR classified hazards into two: natural and human-induced. Hazards of natural origin
can be categorized as geological, hydrometeorological, or biological. Geological hazards
are natural events that originated from movements of the crust and this includes earthquake,
volcanic eruptions, tsunami, and landslide. Hydro-meteorological hazards originated from

13
atmospheric conditions and composition. Cyclones and its associated hazards such as storm
surges can either be called hydro-meteorological or atmospheric hazard. Biological hazards
originated from living organisms and these are usually in the form of harmful microorganisms
that have potentials to cause epidemics.

Under human-induced or anthropogenic hazards are environmental degradation and

technological. But when there is an interaction between natural events and human activities,
it is referred to as a quasi-natural hazard. Many natural hazards may be influenced by
human activities. An example would be a landslide due to a mining activity in the area.
Drought can be classified as climatic because it results from long periods without
precipitation. However, drought can be influenced by human activities that brought about
climate changes.

Another way to classify natural hazards is to group them into tectonic and climatic. Tectonic
hazards pertain to impacts of the earth movements. In this classification system, geological
hazards are classified as tectonic and some hazards that may also be related to water (e.g.
tsunamis, lahar flow, sand boils, geysers) are traced to their tectonic origins. Climatic
hazards refer to the impacts of weather conditions but there can be weather-related hazards
that bring about geological hazards. For instance, typhoon can induce a landslide in a
deforested mountainous area.

Human actions can induce natural hazards to increase their occurrence and impact.
Pumping groundwater increases the occurrence of ground subsidence, or destroying
mangroves increases the impact of wave actions or tsunamis.

Hazards may be classified in several ways but they are always either due to natural
processes or induced/influenced by human activities. Hazard risks are increasing due to
the growing population, increased urbanization, and human-induced changes in the
environment. The consequences of these hazards will have social, economic, and
environmental impacts. The risks depend on the decisions and actions people take. Rather
than inducing the hazard risks, especially for the nations with poor coping capacity, global
citizenry and responsibility on risk reduction should be practiced. Understanding hazards,
their origins, and types are the first among the steps towards eliminating or reducing hazard
risks.
14
A. Identify the type of hazard for each given event.
1. typhoon - _________________________
2. earthquake - _________________________
3. fire -_________________________
4. nuclear accident -_________________________
5. flood -_________________________

B. Predict the hazard that may be found in the following situations. Provide a reasoning
for your responses.
Situation Identified Hazard Reason

Pacific Ring of 1. 2.
Fire

Climate 3. 4.
Change

C. The Philippines is located near two plates: the Eurasian Plate and the Philippine Plate. It
is prone to seismic activities specifically earthquakes. Identify two possible hazards
which are NOT geologic in origin but could be a consequence of an earthquake.
Describe their effects and write a recommendation to reduce the effects of this hazard.
Hazard caused by Description of the Recommendations
an earthquake effect

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

15
Your team is tasked to assess the evacuation map for your class during an earthquake. These
are your tasks:

A. Mapping and Assessing

You are to reproduce the evacuation map at a larger scale and walk through the directions
given on the map. As you walk through it, identify the hazards or hotspots. Identify the bright
spots and the safer spots as well. Use symbols and color codes for both, as you label them on
your map. Consider building materials such as cement beams or glass windows in deciding for
the hot and bright spots. Inspect the width of hallways, the number of doors per classroom,
and conditions of stairwells. Predict flow of students from different spots. Check if the
evacuation area is safe. Assess the response time spent in evacuation during a simulation
activity.

B. Making Recommendations

List hotspots and provide evidence for them to be considered one. Write actual time for
evacuation and set a goal to shorten exposure. Suggest ways to shorten evacuation time and
to ensure safety of all members of the class.

Use the checklist to help you develop your report.

Tasks

Our evacuation map is drawn at a larger scale.

We identified the hotspots and bright spots with symbols and color codes.

We inspected each hotspots in the evacuation map and noted evidence.

We estimated flow and time requirements for evacuation.

We targeted a shorter time for evacuation and listed recommendations on

how to achieve our new goal.

16
Hurricane Costly Sandy

In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy started from off the coast of Nicaragua to travel to
Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda before hitting the East Coast of United
States. One hundred forty-seven direct deaths were reported, and the total damages
were placed at $71 billion. New York had an $18 billion damage.

Let us investigate!

● What were the other hazards present?

● Where did it happen?
● Who were involved?
● Why is it considered as one of the costliest hurricanes?
● Why did it impact the East Coast of the United States considering it is a nation of
wealth and advanced technology, compared to the Caribbean countries?

17
Different elements are exposed to different types of hazards. What are the impacts of
various hazards on different exposed elements ?

At the center of a bond paper, write and box the word “hazard” as your central idea. Think of
the impacts of hazards. Write them on the paper to build connections to the central idea. Add
more ideas and connections to create a mind map on the impacts of hazards.

Find a pair and take turns in sharing your mind maps.

How do hazards impact the different exposed elements?

There are other ways to describe hazards aside from their origins or types. Hazards are
reported based on their characteristics, mainly on their levels of impact. Descriptions are
quantified to measure their magnitude and intensity.

Magnitude refers to the strength and power of an earthquake to which we can predict its
potential destructive capacity. Intensity measures the severity of an earthquake or the level
of impact it caused in a specific area. For example, the Richter Magnitude Scale measures the
released energy in an earthquake. The Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) measures volcanic
explosive eruptions. The Fujita Scale rates the intensity of hurricanes.

For typhoons or rainfall, color codes or numbers serve as warnings. Advisories also report the
size and severity of the hazard. The onset of hazards, its duration, and frequency based on
18
historical records are also utilized to describe and predict the occurrence of hazards. These
measurements are useful in determining the levels of risks, potential damages, disruptions,
and most importantly the level of responses to minimize the impact of hazards.

The magnitude of a hazard does not define its impact on people and infrastructures. It is
the size of the population, the type of structures and their number that determines the
impact of a hazard.

The levels of impact of hazards depend on its interaction with the physical, social, economic
and environmental elements found in a given geographical location of people, property, and
infrastructure. Disaster risk increases as the interactions between the hazard and the
elements increase. The interactions expose the elements to the hazard thereby increasing
their susceptibility to the impact of the hazard. What are the impacts of the hazards to these
exposed elements?

Physical Impact
This includes the destruction or damage to infrastructure such as facilities, transport systems,
roads and bridges, communication systems, water supply systems, and energy supplies and
power lines. Housing and tangible human assets belong to this impact. Mortality, human
injuries, and health impacts are classified under this as well.

Socio-cultural Impact
Hazards can disrupt human and community activities. Populations like ethnic groups are
displaced and are forced to migrate and adapt to a new culture and environment. This may
cause loss of cultural identity and conflicts. All of these cause human stress.

Economic Impact
The disruption of economic activities will have a negative impact on investments and
economic opportunities, production capacities, supply and flow of resources, and delivery of
services and goods. This will lead to loss of livelihood and increased poverty. The latter will
push people further towards a negative coping capacity to hazards and disasters.

19
Environmental Impact
Hazards can change physical features of land and water forms. Tributaries can be
permanently flooded, or coastlines can take a new shape or appearance. Land surfaces in
both urban and mountainous areas can lose their permeability surfaces which bring flooding
and landslides.

Land subsidence is another consequence. Hazards can also increase the pressure on marginal
lands, coastal, and low lying areas. The intrusion of saltwater into freshwater sources can also
happen. Hazards affect biodiversity, ecosystem balance, and its sustainability. This type of
disturbance can impact other elements, or it can trigger another hazard.

Biological Impact
A hazard or a disaster can cause another form of hazard to happen. An explosion of a nuclear
reactor caused by an earthquake will increase radiation levels in the vicinity. Exposure to
radiation causes chronic and permanent illnesses. Epidemics and the spread of viral or
bacterial diseases also fall under this impact.

Hazards have different impacts on people. Their vulnerabilities are determined by their skills,
resources, their community organizations, and the government. The coping capacities of
people are shaped by these factors. Disaster risk reduction programs should be built around
these factors.

A. Give an example for each impact.

1. Physical impact _________________________________________________

2. Socio-cultural impact _________________________________________________

3. Economic impact _________________________________________________

4. Environmental impact _________________________________________________

5. Biological impact _________________________________________________

20
 B. Complete the table below.

Hazard Cause Impact

Flash floods 1. 2.

Epidemics 3. 4.

C. A volcanic eruption has impacts on exposed elements. Opposite the hazard impacts,
write possible responses to reduce its impact.
Hazard Response

Economic impact 1.

Physical impact 2.

Your class is to hold a debate. Your team is assigned to take the opposition or the negative
side. You are to build your arguments and provide evidences. Refer to your DRRR Lesson
Guides and related secondary sources.

Resolution: Resolved to revive the Bataan Nuclear Plant as an alternative source of energy.

Use the following criteria to develop your arguments:

● clarity and accuracy of information
● major points supported with relevant facts, statistics, or examples
● logical arrangement of ideas that are tied to a central theme

21
Robots in Fukushima

After 6 years of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown that displaced 160, 000 people, a
robot called Manbo finally located the damaged nuclear reactor. It was able to produce
the images of melted uranium fuel which looked like solidified lava. Engineers were able
to navigate Manbo, which was the size of a shoebox, through the hotspots of the
reactors’ building.

Manbo is one of the efforts done to clean up the area. The clean up will take about
three to four decades, and will cost tens of billions of dollars. The ultimate goal is to
dismantle the plant and decontaminate the countryside. For now, and the next coming
decades, there will be newer and more versions of Manbo that will do the clean-up of
the area.

Let us investigate!
● What can the Japanese robot creation do?
● Where else can Manbo be helpful?
● Who was Manbo ?
● Why was Manbo created ?
● What is the immediate problem the needs to be addressed?
● What is the solution?

22
Your goal is to make your family prepared for potential emergency situations.
Create a floor plan of your house. Identify areas by using lines for partitions, doors and
shapes to represent furniture, appliances and other fixtures such as the main switches, LPG
tanks, or electric outlets. You may include the types of materials such as wood, cement, metal,
etc. Add spaces in-between the neighborhood and describe partitions or gates that you have
in between.

1. Identify the hazards in your house plan by marking them with an X.

2. List reasons why you consider them as hazards. Identify the factors that contribute to
their potentials as hazards.
3. Make a plan on how you can discuss your investigation with your family and collaborate
on how you can make your home hazard-free.

You will submit a documentation of your family plan including the detailed hazard map of
your house. Be guided by the rubrics for scoring below:

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished (17-20

(0-12 points) (13-16 points) points)

Floor Plan floor plan not done or floor plan with hazards detailed floor plan with
lacks essential marked; lacks clear hazards clearly
elements that will reasons and factors marked; reasons and
enable it to be contributing to hazard factors contributing to
considered a hazard hazards documented
map clearly and correctly

Presentation floor plan not done or floor plan is floor plan presented is
lacks elements that understandable but neat, clear and very
would make it clear or lacks neatness and/or understandable;
neat clarity

Documentation family plan not done family plan was done family plan
or lacks proper and some notes were documentation is clear
documentation done but lacks and complete
essential parts

23
Check I can…

...define hazards.

...give examples of types of hazards.

...explain the impact of various hazards on different exposed elements.

Reflect

I find __________________________ the most interesting because ______________________________________.

I got ____ checks because ___________________________________________________________________________.
I need to improve on _______________________because _______________________________________________.
I need to practice _________________________ because ________________________________________________.
I plan to _____________________________________________________________________________________________.

● Hazards are natural events or human activities that have the potential of causing loss
of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption
or environmental degradation. When the natural event is close to or at the center of a
populated area, the natural event is transformed into a hazard.
● Hazards are categorized into two: natural and human-induced. Hazards of natural
origin are geological, hydro-meteorological, and biological. Under human-induced
hazards are environmental degradation and technological.
● Hazards impacts are physical, socio-cultural, economic, environmental and
biological. The levels of impact is determined by the interactions between the hazards
and the exposed elements.

24
25
BBC Bitesize “Natural Hazards”. Accessed January 21, 2018.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zxh4wxs/revision

BEH. “When Does a Natural Event Develop into a Disaster”. Accessed January 20, 2018.
https://www.welthungerhilfe.de/en/world-risk-report-2017.html.

Donald W. Hyndman, et al. 2009. Natural Hazards and Disasters. Toronto: Nelson Education.

Deveza, JB. "Cagayan De Oro Twice Warned of Floods." Inquirer News Cagayan De Oro Twice
Warned of Floods Comments. December 24, 2011. Accessed March 30, 2018.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/116857/cagayan-de-oro-twice-warned-of-floods.

Inquirer.net. “ Large Areas of Metro Manila Sinking.” Accessed January 21, 2018.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/12757/large-areas-of-metro-manila-sinking.

NY Times. “Six Years After Fukushima, Robots Finally Find Reactor’s Melted Uranium Fuel”.
Accessed January 22, 2108. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/19/science/
japan-fukushima-nuclear-meltdown-fuel.html

Phivolcs.”List of Active Volcanoes”. Accessed January 21, 2018.

http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/html/update_VMEPD/vmepd/vmepd/active.htm.

Philippine News. “Phivolcs Launch Map, Valley Fault System to Guide Users Ensuring Safety”.
Accessed January 21, 2018. https://philnews.ph/2017/03/31/
phivolcs-launch-map-valley-fault-system-guide-users-ensuring-safety/.

UNISDR. “Hyogo Framework for Action 2005- 2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and
Communities to Disasters”. Accessed January 20, 2018.
http://www.unisdr.org/we/coordinate/sendai-framework

UNISDR. “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030”. Accessed January 20,
2018.http://www.unisdr.org/we/coordinate/sendai-framework

26
Glossary
Climate Change - refers to a range of changes that is happening on Earth caused by burning
of fossil fuels and heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere

Coping capacities - the capacity to prepare for and recover from disaster risks

Disaster - the result of the interaction among exposure to a hazard, conditions of

vulnerability, lack of coping capacity

Disaster risk - a potential threat to loss of human lives and damage to properties and
infrastructure

Drought - a prolonged period of low rainfall

Earthquake - sudden shaking of ground surface due to seismic waves that normally
originates from the release of energy in rocks deep underground

Environmental degradation - reduction in quality of the environment

Epidemic - a widespread incidence of infectious disease in a particular place at a particular

time

Exposure - the likelihood or the degree at which an element will experience the hazard

Geological - relating to the study of the earth’s physical structures and processes

Ground subsidence - the gradual sinking of an area of land

Hazard - a potentially damaging physical event or human activity that may cause the loss of
life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation

Hydrologic - relating to the science studying the properties, distribution and circulation of
water on and below the earth’s surface

27
Hydrometeorological - relating to the study of the interaction between hydrology and
meteorology

Intensity - the severity of earthquakes

Magnitude - the measurement of the size of an earthquake

Natural event - physical events that are classified as atmospheric, geologic, hydrologic and
biological

Quasi-natural event - a result of the interaction between the natural events and human
activities

Storm surges - the rising of the sea during storms caused by changes in atmospheric
pressure and wind

Vulnerability - the conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental

factors or processes, it increase the susceptibility to hazard impacts

28
 Lesson 1: Hazards
Part A
1. hazards
( in any order for 2 to 4)
2. hazard
3. vulnerability
4. exposure
5. geological, hydrometeorological, biological ( any of the three)
Part B
1. hazard
2. Alert level 1 given to residents as a warning
3. disaster
4. Typhoon and storm surge causes loss of lives and property damage.
Part C
1. Population is very high.
2. Impact to human lives is also high.
3. It is a metropolis.
4. Population is high, more infrastructure and property, increased economic activity,
greater mobilization
5. Reclaimed coastal areas and tributaries, pumping of freshwater,garbage problem
6. Increased flooding incidence and ground subsidence
7. Clear obstruction in waterways, better solid waste management system, alternative
sources of freshwater supply, relocation of disadvantaged families from coastal areas
and tributaries to another area

Lesson 2: Types of Hazards

Part A
1. Atmospheric
2. Geologic
3. Man-made
4. Man-made
5. Hydrologic

29
 Part B
1. Geologic
2. Plate boundary activities can cause earthquakes or volcanic eruptions
3. Atmospheric, Hydrologic and Man-made
4. The interactions can bring atmospheric and hydrologic hazards

Part C
Some possible answers:

1 and 3 2 and 4

Transport accidents Automatic warnings

Industrial Follow standards in building,

explosions and fire operations and handling
Accidental release of toxic chemicals, and emergency cases
radiological materials, biologic
materials, oil
Nuclear accidents -
Collapse of public buildings

Lesson 3: Impact of Hazards on Exposed Elements

Part A ( Any of the given responses.)
1. destruction or damages to infrastructure such as facilities, transport system, roads and
bridges, communication system, water supply systems and energy supplies and power
lines, housing and human tangible assets,mortality, human injuries and health impacts
2. disruption of human and community activities,populations or ethnic groups
displacement, forced migration, adaptation to a new culture and environment, loss of
cultural identity and conflicts, human stress
3. disruption of economic activities,negative impact on investments and economic
opportunities, production capacities, supply and flow of resources and delivery of
services and goods, loss of livelihood and increased poverty, negative coping capacity to
hazards and disasters
4. changes in physical features of land and water forms,tributaries can be permanently
flooded or coastlines can take a new shape or appearance,land surfaces in both urban
30
 and mountain areas can lose their permeability surfaces, flooding and landslides, land
subsidence, increased pressure on marginal lands, coastal and low lying areas,
intrusion of saltwater into freshwater sources, loss of biodiversity, ecosystem
imbalance, decreased sustainability, triggers another hazard
5. chronic and permanent illnesses,epidemics and spread of viral or bacterial diseases

Part B
1. floods, melting of snow, loss of permeability of soil surface, excessive rainfall
2. any of the hazard impacts
3. spread of viruses or bacteria through vectors
4. any of the hazard impacts

Part C
1 and 2.
Any response related to the following:
Governance: organizational, legal and policy frameworks
Risk identification, assessment, monitoring and early warning
Knowledge management and education
Reducing underlying risk factors
Preparedness for effective response and recovery

31