CONCEPT OF

DISASTER
NATURAL PHENOMENA
Natural phenomena are
those that occur or
manifest without human
input.
 NATURAL PHENOMENA
Earthquake

Tornado
Typhoon

Bolide Impact Volcanic Eruption

Tsunami
 When does a natural phenomena become a hazard?

Bolide Impact

When there is a threat of

damage, injury and, even
death. Volcanic Eruption
 When does a natural phenomena become a hazard?
Earthquake

Typhoon

Tsunami
Tornado
 WHEN DOES A HAZARD
BECOMES A DISASTER?
A disaster happens when the probable
destructive agent, the hazard, cause damage,
injury and, even death.
Typhoon

Earthquake

Tsunami
 Volcanic Eruption

Bolide Impact

Tornado
DISAST
ER
❖ It is the serious disturbance of the
functioning society, causing widespread
human, material or environmental losses
which exceed the ability of the affected
society to cope using its own resources.
Human
Losses

During
Typhoon
Yolanda in
Tacloban
Material
Losses

During
Typhoon
Yolanda in
Tacloban
Environmental
Impact

During
Typhoon
Yolanda
❖ Disaster happens when the probable destructive agent, the hazard,
❖ hits a vulnerable exposed populated area.
 Natural Hazard and Vulnerability
No Disaster
Extreme Human activity and
Natural Event Vulnerable
Ex: Earthquake
physical processes do not
Population interact
Ex: Tropical Cyclone
Ex: Drought

Extreme Limited Disaster

Natural Event If geophysical hazard and human
Vulnerable
Ex: Earthquake
Population activity are closer together, a
Ex: Tropical Cyclone disaster can result
Ex: Drought

Extreme
Natural Event Vulnerable Major Disaster
Ex: Earthquake
Population The more severe the geophysical
Ex: Tropical Cyclone event and/or the more vulnerable
Ex: Drought
the human populations, the more
Disaster = major hazard event increased by poor human the two overlap and the larger the
preparedness and response disaster
 Indicate on the space provided whether each of the
following item is a HAZARD OR A DISASTER: 1. Hazard
2. Hazard
1. A typhoon passing over a remote and unpopulated island.
2. A flood in a rural area which floods the roads but does not 3. Hazard
affect any houses 4. disaster
3. A volcano erupting in isolation in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean
5. Hazard
4. An avalanche in a ski resort 6. Disaster
5. An avalanche high on the mountain and slopes remote from 7. Disaster
any settlement.
6. A tsunami wave 5 m high off the coast of Japan. 8. hazard
7. An earthquake in Kashmir region, Northern Pakistan 9. Disaster
8. A drought in Australia”s Outback (vast, remote, arid interior
of Australia)
10.Disaster
9. A landslide in a favela (slum area) in Rio de Janiero
10. A super typhoon with storm surge affecting Leyte.
❖ Studying the nature and character of a hazardous natural phenomenon is
essential in preventing it from turning it into disaster
❖ It also helps people to know when to apply evasive actions or to recognize and
do something about their vulnerabilities

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, vulnerability
and capacity”.
❖ In the technical sense, it is defined through the combination of
three terms: hazard, exposure and vulnerability
❖ Disaster risk is expressed as a function of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.
❖ It seeks not only to express the chance of the disaster happening but also to
quantify the impact.

The magnitude of the disaster depends on:

❖ Severity of the natural event

❖ The quantity of exposure of the elements at risk which
includes lives and properties
❖ Vulnerability level or quality of exposure
Earthquakes, torrential
rains, storms, etc. People, property, etc.

HAZARD EXPOSURE
DISASTER

Elements
RISK

VULNERABILITY
of
Disaster
Resistance against
Risk
natural hazards
What can be done to lessen the risk of disaster?

❖Being aware of the nature of hazards and what

these can do to people and other elements at risk
is the first step in every effort to minimize the
effects of disaster.
❖Disaster often result from the failure to anticipate
the timing and enormity of natural hazards.
RISK ASSESSMENT
❖is the determination of quantitative or 
qualitative estimate of risk related to a
well-defined situation and a recognized 
threat (also called hazard).
To reduce disaster risk,
❖it is important to reduce the level of vulnerability and

❖to keep exposure as far away from hazards as possible

by relocating populations and property.

❖The reduction of vulnerability can be achieved through

such measures as mitigation and preparedness.
❖Through
Disaster Management
What is Disaster Management?
Preparedness
❖ Activities prior to a disaster
❖ Ex. Preparedness plan; emergency exercises/training; warning
systems
Response
❖ Activities during a disaster
❖ Ex. Public warning systems; emergency operations; search and
rescue
Rehabilitation
❖ That looks at more long term inputs reinstating lost livelihood,
introducing new economic opportunities and improving land and
water management processes so as to reduce people’s vulnerability
and enhance capacities to handle future calamities
Recovery
❖ Activities following a disaster
❖ Ex. temporary housing; claims processing and grants; long-term
medical care and counseling
Mitigation
❖ Activities that reduce the effects of disasters
❖ Ex. Building codes and zoning; vulnerability analyses; public
education
Nature and Effects of Disaster
 Characteristics of Disasters

❖ Knows no political boundary

❖ Requires restructured and new responding organizations
❖ Creates new tasks and requires more people as disasters
responders
❖ Renders inutile routine emergency response equipment and
facilities
❖ Worsens confusion in understanding roles of peoples and
organizations
❖ Exposes lack of disaster planning, response and coordination.
Inexperienced disaster organizations often fail to see what their
proper roles are.
 Impacts of Disasters

Medical Damage to
effects Critical
Include:
❖Traumatic Facilities
Include:
injuries
❖ Communication
❖Emotional installations
stress ❖ Electrical generating
❖Epidemic and transmission
diseases facilities
❖Indigenous ❖ hospitals
❖ Water facilities
disease
 Impacts of Disasters
Economic
Disruption of
Transportation Impact
Include:
Include: ❖ Normal business
❖ Broken bridges, operations and other
roads, and streets economic activities
❖ Restricted are curtailed
mobility of ❖ Peoples must also
vehicles makes leave their jobs and
devoted their time to
rescue and other
disaster-related
emergency activities, such as
operation difficult search and rescue, or
to caring for survivors
 Global Environmental
Change
❖Global climatic change
brought about by both
human activity and disasters
❖More cyclonic storms
❖Increase in both flooding
and drought
❖Desertification
❖Wildfires
❖Mudslides
❖Reduced productivity in the
oceans
❖Weakened immune system
of people and animals
 Social and Political Impact
Include:
❖ Poor are the most vulnerable whenever a disaster
strikes
❖ The poor are the most prone to disasters because
of the structures they live in which are
unreinforced and poorly built
❖ The damages incurred
due to natural
extremes events and
disasters amounted to
Php 463 billion from
2010 to 2019
❖ Agriculture – largest
share of 62.7% or 290
billion Php
❖ Infrastructure - 23% or
106 billion Php
❖ Communications – ❖ 2011 highest number of natural disasters at 367
14.3% or 66 billion Php ❖ 2013 highest number of deaths recorded at 7 056 due to
Yolanda and 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol
❖ 2010 to 2019 – total deaths recorded at 12,097
 Exposure and Vulnerability

Various Elements That May Be exposed to Hazards

1.Environmental
2.Social
3.Economic
❖Elements at Risk and Exposure
▪ People, properties, economic activities, and private and
public services.
 Exposure
Refers to the presence of people
 Exposure
Refers to the livelihood
 Exposure
Refers to the
❖environmental services and resources,
 Exposure
❖ Refers to the infrastructure
 Exposure
❖Refers to the economic, social, or
cultural assets
 Exposure
❖could be adversely affected by physical
events and which, thereby, are subject to
potential future harm, loss or damage
❖ may be possible to be exposed but not
vulnerable.
 Vulnerability
❖ Is the state of susceptibility to
harm from exposure to stresses
associated with environmental and
social change and from the
absence of capacity to adapt.
❖ It is a condition or sets of
conditions that reduces people’s
ability to prepare for, withstand or
respond to a hazard
❖ This may arise from various
physical, social, economic and
environmental factors
MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATIONS
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
CHILDREN
SENIORS
MEDICATION-DEPENDENT INDIVIDUALS
WOMEN
ETHNIC MINORITIES, ABORIGINAL OR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
HOMELESS
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS
MARGINALIZED GROUPS
 CAPACITY
❖ Are strength and resources
that presents in individuals,
household and the
community and enable
them to cope up with,
withstand, prepare for,
prevent, mitigation, or
quickly recover from a
disaster.
❖ Those positive condition or
abilities which increase a
community’s ability to deal
with hazards.
CAPACITY
ASSESSMENT
❖ Is the process to determine
how people cope in times
of crisis to reduce the
damaging effects of
hazards.
❖ Through capacity
assessment, the
community’s coping
strategies and resources,
which are available, for
disaster preparedness,
mitigation and prevention
are identified.
❖ Hazard map
❖ Historical profile
❖ Seasonal calendar
❖ Gendered resource
mapping
❖ Focus group
discussion
❖ Livelihood/coping
analysis
❖ Institutional and
social network
analysis
❖ Community drama
“RISK” is defined as the
expectation value of losses
(deaths, injuries, property,
etc.) that would be caused by
a hazard. Disaster risk can
be seen as a function of the
hazard, exposure and
vulnerability as follows;
 Disaster Risk

The probability that a

community’s structure or
geographic area is to be
damaged or disrupted by the
impact of a particular hazard,
on account of its nature,
construction and proximity to a
hazardous area.
The relationship between hazard,
disaster, and vulnerability
Disaster management is a process of effectively preparing for
and responding to disasters. It involves strategically organizing
resources to lessen the harm that disasters cause. It also
involves a systematic approach to managing the responsibilities
of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Mitigation is defined as “sustained action that reduces or
eliminates long-term risk to people and property from natural
hazards and their effects.” It describes the ongoing effort at the
federal, state, local and individual levels to lessen the impact of
disasters upon our families, homes, communities and economy.
 Classify the following terms about
natural disasters if it involves Causes,
Effects or Solutions.
1. Global warming
2. Reforestation
3. Food scarcity
4. Mining
5. Governance
6. Environmental issues
7. Education
8. Pollution
9. Emotional shocks
10. Emergency measures