DISASTER READINESS

AND RISK REDUCTION

Week 1 Overview
Contents:
• Introduction to Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction Disaster
• Disaster
• Risk Factors Underlying Disasters

• Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
• define disaster
• differentiate natural hazard to man-made hazard
• discuss the different risk factors underlying disasters
• Disaster readiness and risk reduction (DRRR) is a
systematic approach to identifying, assessing and
reducing the risks of disaster.[1]

• It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to

disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and
other hazards that trigger them.[1]
What is Disaster?

• According to the World Health

Organization (WHO), disaster is
an occurrence disrupting the
normal conditions of existence
Source: ABS-CBN News
and causing a level of suffering
that exceeds the capacity of
adjustment of the affected
community. [2]

Source: Philippine Star

Hazard

• Hazard is a natural or
man-made event that
has the potential to
cause impacts to people, Source: Hartac

buildings, infrastructure,
agriculture,
environmental assets and
communities.[3]
Difference between Hazard
and Disaster

• Source: Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

Two Types of Disaster
• Natural Disaster -are those catastrophic events that are caused by the
nature or natural processes of the Earth.[4]
• Examples: typhoons, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes

• Man-made Disaster- have an element of human intent, negligence or

error involving a failure of a man-made system, as opposed to natural
disasters resulting from natural hazards. [5]

• Examples: arson, oil spill

Different Risk Factors Underlying Disasters
• Addressing the underlying risk factors is fundamental to reducing disaster risk
that will lead to saving more life and property.

• Different risk factors include:

• Climate Change
• Environmental Degradation
• Globalized Economic Development
• Poverty and Inequality
• Poorly planned and Managed Urban Development
• Weak Governance
 Climate Change

• Climate change can increase disaster risk in a

variety of ways – by altering the frequency and
intensity of hazards events, affecting
vulnerability to hazards, and changing
exposure patterns. [6]
 Environmental
Degradation

• It is both a driver and consequence of

disasters, reducing the capacity of the
environment to meet social and ecological
needs. [6]
 Globalized Economic
Development

• Developing urban areas can have

a big expense on the
environment. [6]
 Poverty and Inequality

• Poverty is both a driver and

consequence of disasters, and the
processes that further disaster risk related
poverty are permeated with inequality. [6]
 Weak Governance

• Weak governance zones are investment

environments in which public sector actors are
unable or unwilling to assume their roles and
responsibilities in protecting rights, providing
basic services and public services. [6]
References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_risk_reduction
2. http://selftution.com/natural-disasters-types-examples-precautions-earthquake-flood-tsunami-volcano-eruption-drought-cyclone/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazard
4. https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/904/Man-Made-Disaster
5. 2009 UNISDR Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction
6. https://riskreductionandmanagement.wordpress.com/2017/10/08/lesson-6-risk-factors-underlying-disasters/