DISASTER READINESS AND RISK

REDUCTION

FIRST QUARTER 11/12

Module 1

CONCEPT OF DISASTER AND

DISASTER RISK

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Explain the meaning of disaster (DRR11/12-Ia-b-1)

Differentiate the risk factors underlying disasters (DRR11/12-Ia-

b-2)

Prepared by Erickson F. Del Mundo

CCSHS - SDRRM Coordinator

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TO THE LEARNERS

Set aside other tasks that will disturb you while studying. Read the simple instructions below on how to
use this module.

1. Follow all the contents and instructions indicated in every page of this module.
2. Write on your notebook the key concepts as writing improves retention of learning
3. Perform all the provided activities in the module.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers using the answer key card.
5. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.

EXPECTATIONS

At the end of this module you are expected to:

 define what is disaster

 differentiate the risk factors underlying disasters
 enumerate elements of disaster
 describe relationship of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability to disaster risk.

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PRE-TEST
Directions: Write TRUE in the space before that appears before the number if the statement is correct,
otherwise write FALSE
______ 1. Disasters involves the interplay of a natural phenomenon and exposed vulnerable elements
______ 2. Disaster risk is a function of exposure, vulnerability, hazard and capacity to cope
______ 3. A hazard in itself constitutes a disaster
______ 4. An event is a hazard even if no elements are exposed to danger
______ 5. Disaster risk can increase if capacity of the citizens is neglected

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON

Directions:
1. In the first column, write any background knowledge that you have on disaster and disaster risk
2. In the second column, write questions that you have on exposure and vulnerability
3. After filling out the first and second column, proceed to the next part of the module
4. In the third column, write what you have learned after completing the week’s lesson
5. On the last column, write the questions that you still have after the lesson.
What I KNOW WHAT I want to What I LEARNED What I STILL want to
know know

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

What is disaster?
Disaster comes from Greek words “dis” and “aster” which means “bad star” as reference to events which
are attributed to unfavorable positioning of the heavenly bodies. It is believed that disasters are punishment
to men and cannot do anything to avoid disasters. Disaster is a “serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society involving widespread losses or impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected

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community or society to cope using its own resources”. The occurrence of disaster depends on the
interplay between a hazard and vulnerability of populations exposed.

Factors Underlying Disasters

In contrast of the previous views of disasters as uncontrollable, unavoidable, and unpredictable events,
disasters can be predicted and avoided to mitigate its effects by considering the factors underlying disasters:

1. Hazard is a potentially destructive event. Hazards may be of natural or anthropogenic (man-made)

origin.

2. Exposure is the situation of important assets (including people) being in hazard-prone areas

3. Vulnerability is defined as characteristics that determine how susceptible exposed assets are to the
effects of a hazard.

When does an event become a disaster?

Hazards in themselves are not disasters. Consider an earthquake occurring in uninhabited grassland. The
earthquake cannot be considered as a disaster as it did not affect any exposed vulnerable population or
property in the grassland. Disasters happen when the probable destructive agent, the hazard, hits a
vulnerable populated area. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake occurring in a city is a disaster since it will
certainly affect the exposed vulnerable properties and population. Furthermore, National Disaster
Coordinating Council as cited by Alejandro (2002) an event is considered a disaster if any two of the
following situations prevails:

1. At least 20% of the population are affected & in need of emergency assistance or those dwelling
units have been destroyed.

2. A great number or at least 40% of the means of livelihood such as bancas, fishing boats, vehicles
and the like are destroyed.

3. Major roads and bridges are destroyed and impassable for at least a week, thus disrupting the flow
of transport and commerce.

4. Widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock, and other agricultural products,
and

5. If there is an epidemic

It is important to take note that the mentioned situations above are the considerations taken if the
country will declare a state of calamity, such as when the Philippines was placed under a state of
calamity during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

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Types of Disasters

Sendai Framework as cited by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction defines different types of
disasters. We can classify these types of disasters according to the scope of their impact and onset of
occurrence.

Types of Disasters

According to scope of impact According to onset

Small-scale disaster Slow-onset disaster

Large-scale disaster Sudden-onset disaster

Figure 1 Types of disasters

According to the scope of their impact:

1. Small-scale disaster: a type of disaster only affecting local communities which require assistance
beyond the affected community.
2. Large-scale disaster: a type of disaster affecting a society which requires national or international
assistance.
According to onset of occurrence:
1. A slow-onset disaster is defined as one that emerges gradually over time. Slow-onset disasters
could be associated with, e.g., drought, desertification, sea-level rise, epidemic disease.
2. A sudden-onset disaster is one triggered by a hazardous event that emerges quickly or
unexpectedly. Sudden-onset disasters could be associated with, e.g., earthquake, volcanic eruption,
flash flood, chemical explosion, critical infrastructure failure, transport accident

Characteristics of Disasters
1. Knows no political boundary: disasters will affect people and areas regardless of their race,
ethnicity, religion, and political parties.
2. Requires restructured and new corresponding organizations: disasters require separate
organizational structures to respond to disasters. Take for example, the Inter-agency Task Force
for COVID-19 which is a structure that is organized specifically to address the pandemic in our
country.

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 3. Creates new task and requires more people as disaster responders: disasters will need
additional manpower to conduct operations such as search and rescue, triaging of patients, first-
aid, and relief distribution
4. Worsens confusion in understanding roles of people and organization: while organizations
may be organized for addressing disasters, confusion may arise as to who will be in-charge of the
situations and which group should perform the task needed for disasters. Disasters may also cause
confusion for the people on the roles of government agencies when disaster strikes.
5. Exposes lack of disaster planning, response, and coordination: disasters may also reveal the
lack in preparation of organizations and even in one’s family when it comes to disasters. In the
case of families, many families do not have an emergency plan and communication plans for
disasters as well as family emergency survival kits.

What is Disaster Risk?

Disaster risk is expressed as the likelihood of loss of life, injury or destruction and damage from a disaster
in a period. (UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction as cited by PreventionWeb). Disaster risk is a function
of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity.
Disaster risk is…
1. Dynamic: it can increase or decrease according to our ability to reduce vulnerability
2. Invisible: it is comprised of not only the threat of high-impact events, but also the frequent, low-
impact events that are often hidden
3. Unevenly distributed around the earth: hazards affect different areas, but the pattern of disaster
risk reflects the social construction of exposure and vulnerability in different countries
4. Emergent and complex: many processes, including climate change and globalized economic
development, are creating new, interconnected risks

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ACTIVITIES
Activity 1.1: What a Disaster! (Adapted from Template 1: Disaster Timeline of CBDRRM
Training Activity Packet)
Instructions: Recall three disasters that happened in the past. In the date column, write the date (at least
the year) on which the disaster happened. Write the name of the disaster and its cause on the next columns.
List at least two damages the disaster inflicted. Indicate the actions done during or directly after the disaster
happened on the response column. Write the lessons learned from the disaster in the last column.

Date Name of disaster Cause of Damages Response Lessons learned

disaster

Activity 1.2: Disaster Risk Formula

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the words “null”, “high”, or “low” to complete the statements on the
relationship of hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity to disaster risk. Use the formula as a guide.

𝐻𝑎𝑧𝑎𝑟𝑑 × 𝑉𝑢𝑙𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 × 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒

𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑖𝑠𝑘 =
𝐶𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦

1. Stronger and intense hazard means that disaster risk is _____________

2. Large number of properties exposed will make disaster risk is _____________
3. Having a high number of vulnerable group means that disaster risk is _____________
4. Having higher capacity means that disaster risk is _____________
5. Having lower capacity means that disaster risk is _____________

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REMEMBER
● Disaster is a “serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread
losses or impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own
resources
● Disaster risk is expressed as the likelihood of loss of life, injury or destruction and damage from a
disaster in a period.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Learning the concept of disaster and its underlying factors, is there such thing as “natural
disasters?”
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

POST-TEST
Read each question carefully and then WRITE THE LETTER of the answer that best fits the question in
the space before that appears before the number.
______ 1. What are Disaster Risk Factors?
A. Levels of susceptibility.
B. Conditions of vulnerability that is present.
C. Variables that either aggravate or mitigate the effects of hazards.
D. Measures to reduce or cope with potential negative consequences
______ 2. Which is NOT an example of disaster?
A. Extra Judicial Killings C. 2006 PhilSports Stadium Stampede
B. 2011 Japan Earthquake D. 2013 Yolanda Storm Surge
______ 3. Which describes vulnerability?
A. It is the proximity and exposure to an event.
B. It is the state of being physically affected from hazard.
C. The predisposition to suffer damage due to external events.
D. A set of prevailing and consequential condition not affecting the community
______ 4 Which describes hazard?
A. Estimated loss of lives in an event C. Estimated loss of property in an event
B. Event which may cause loss of assets D. Event which have caused loss of assets
______ 5. Which describes disaster?
A. Estimated loss of lives in an event C. Estimated loss of property in an event
B. Event which may cause loss of assets D. Event which have caused loss of assets

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REFLECTION

Directions: Reflect on your learning in this module using the 3-2-1 questionnaire

Three things I learned in this module that I may use daily:

1. _________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Two things I am interested at:

1. _________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

One question I still have

1. _________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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REFERENCES

De Leon, Marietta M. (2016) Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction Philippines: Trinitas publishing Inc.
pp. 1-17

Rimando, Rolly E. (2016) Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction 1st edition Manila: Rex Bookstore Inc.,
pp. 3-11

Alejandro, B. R. (2002) "Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Disaster Management in the Philippines."
In Regional Workshop on Total Disaster Risk Management: 7-9 August 2002, Kobe, Japan. Proceedings.
Japan: Asian Disaster Reduction Center,. [Link]

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. (2018). Overview. In Ftershocks: Remodeling the
Past for a Resilient Future (pp. 5-15). Washington, D.C: Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and
Recovery. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from
[Link]

Office of Civil Defense (n.d.), Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Training
Activity Packet

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (n.d.). Disaster. Retrieved June 10, 2020, from
[Link]

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