Introduction to

Disaster Concepts
Jelo Hagos
 Learning Competencies
• Explain the meaning of disaster;
• Differentiate the risk factors underlying disasters;
• Describe the effects of disasters on one’s life;
• Explain how and when an event becomes a
disaster;
• Identify areas/locations exposed to hazards that
may lead to disasters; and
• Analyze disaster from the different perspectives
(physical, psychological, socio-cultural, economic,
political, and biological).
 Trivia
Did you know that?!
“Earthquake proof”
Palawan is allegedly the
safest part in the
Philippines when ‘The
Big One’ earthquake hits.
 Key terms
• Hazard – a dangerous phenomenon, substance, human
activity or condition 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.
• Disaster – a serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society involving widespread human,
material, economic, or environmental losses and
impacts which exceeds the ability of the affected
community or society to cope using its own resources.
• Risk – the possibility that something bad or unpleasant
will happen.
 Meaning of Disaster
• Disaster is defined as a crisis situation causing
wide spread damage which far exceeds our ability
to recover. Thus, by definition, there cannot be a
perfect ideal system that prevents damage,
because then it would not be a disaster.
• Their possibility of occurrence, time, place, and
severity of the strike can be reasonably and in
some cases accurately predicted by technological
and scientific advances.
 Types of Disasters
• The two types of disasters are natural
disasters and man-made disasters. Natural
disaster include earthquakes, floods,
landslides, etc. On the other hand, man-made
disasters include war, bomb blasts and
chemical leaks. The disasters often differ in
quantity of damage caused or in quality of the
type of medical consequences.
Types of Disasters

Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima, Japan

Earthquake in Pakistan
 Underlying Risks Factors
• There are some underlying factors which increase
disaster, and which need to be addresses in order to
reduce overall risk. These include environmental
problems, such as declining ecosystems, social and
economic vulnerabilities, and climate change.
• Pillar 4 of the Hyogo Framework for Action which
states that disaster risks related to changing social,
economic, environmental conditions and land use, and
the impact of hazards associated with geological
events, weather, water, climate change, are addressed
in sector development planning and programmes as
well as in post-disaster situations.
 Effects of Disasters
• Danger of Death
• Physical Injury
• Emotional/ Mental problems
• Physical Health problems
• Damaged natural environment
• Economic environment issue
• Disruption/loss Built environment
Effects of Disasters on One’s Life

Danger of Death
The highest risks are those that have gone through the
disaster themselves. Next are those in indirect
exposure with victims. The findings show that at least
half of survivors in Armenia, Mexico and US suffer from
distress or mental health problems that need clinical
care.
• Disasters in developing countries have more
severe mental health impact that disasters
in developed countries.
Nature of Risk = Exposure (to hazard) x Vulnerability
Capacity to Cope
Summarize with…
“ Disasters are often described as a result of the
combination of the:
I. The exposure to hazard;
II. The conditions of vulnerability that are
present, and;
III. Insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or
cope with the potential negative consequences.”
Super typhoon Yolanda
 Activity 1: The Fish Bowl
Directions:
1. Write your name on 1/8 sheet of yellow paper.
2. Roll your paper and put it inside the first fish bowl.
3. On another 1/8 sheet of yellow paper, write your question
about disasters.
4. Roll your paper and put it inside the second fish bowl.
5. Your teacher will randomly pick from the first bowl the paper
bearing the name of your classmate who shall answer the
question that your teacher subsequently picks from the
second bowl.
6. The chosen student will be given a minute to answer the
question.
 From Natural Event to Disaster
• When determining whether a natural event will
be categorized as a disaster, emergency managers
and responders need to know who and what is at
risk. In tailoring response to specific populations,
people may want to ensure warnings go out in
multiple languages and translators are available
in shelters if an area has a large foreign language
speaking population. A natural vent only
becomes a disaster when it impacts human life,
property, or livelihood.
Areas and Locations Exposed to
Disaster
Needed material:
Philippine Map
 Top 10 provinces that are risk to
earthquakes
1. Surigao del Sur 6. Tarlac
2. La Union 7. Ifugao
3. Benguet 8. Davao Oriental
4. Pangasinan 9. Nueva Vizcaya
5. Pampanga 10.Nueva Ecija
 Top 10 provinces that are risk to
earthquakes-induced landslides
1. Ifugao 6. Bukidnon
2. Lanao del Sur 7. Aurora
3. Sarangani 8. Davao del Sur
4. Benguet 9. Davao Oriental
5. Mountain 10.Rizal
province
 Top 10 provinces that are risk to
Volcanic eruptions
1. Batanes 6. Bataan
2. Camiguin 7. Sorsogon
3. Sulu 8. South Cotabato
4. Biliran 9. Laguna
5. Albay 10.Camarines Sur
 Top 10 provinces that are risk to
Tsunamis
1. Sulu 6. Romblon
2. Tawi-tawi 7. Siquijor
3. Basilan 8. Surigao del Norte
4. Batanes 9. Camiguin
5. Guimaras 10.Masbate
Perspective on Disaster
 A Biological Perspective on Disaster
• Many assumptions regarding the nation’s
need for disaster preparedness were
reassesses after 9/11. Among them was a
fuller appreciation of the fact that
preparedness had to include public health and
hospital personnel in its responder definition.
A basic priority for our country is a unified
emergency response to disasters.
 Political Perspective on Disaster
Although governance failures can occur in
societies with stable governance systems, poorly
governed societies and weak states are almost
certain to exhibit deficiencies in disaster
governance. Various measures can be employed
to assess disaster governance; more research is
needed in this nascent field of study on factors
that contribute to effective governance and on
other topcs.
 Social Marketing Perspective on Disaster
A social marketing approach to disaster
preparedness should be based on an
understanding of the factors that act as barriers
to people taking recommend self-protective
actions. As people experience a disaster, they
interact with family, neighbours, and friends for
help in interpreting and making meaning of the
disaster and in determining how they will
respond.
 Psychological Perspective on Disaster
Psychological outcomes that could be classified into
six general categories – specific psychological
problems, nonspecific distress, health problems and
concerns, chronic problem in living, psychosocial
resource loss and problems specific to youth. There
were greater and more lasting negative
consequences to mental health for individual with
injury, threat to life stressors, and extreme personal
loss stressors, especially when coupled with high
community destruction.
 Physical Science Perspective on Disaster

1. The intensity of the event: the damage to

structures, or to the natural environment, or
the levels of morbidity and mortality .
2. The event’s duration and timing; and
3. Its geographic scale.
References:
• http://www.aitonline.tv/post-
death_toll_rises_from_china_earthquake
• Bagolong, et al (2016). Disaster readiness and
Risk Reduction. Mutya Publishing, Inc.