THE NATURE OF DISASTERS AND

DISASTER RISK
 OBJECTIVES:
• Explain and distinguish the concepts of hazard, disaster,
and disaster risk.
• Explain how and when a hazard becomes a disaster.
• Differentiate the main types of disaster.
• Describe the effects of disasters on life, property, and the
environment.
• Identify areas and locations exposed to hazards that may
lead to disasters.
• Describe and analyze disasters from different perspectives
(physical, psychological, sociocultural, economic, political,
and biological).
• Identify and differentiate the risk factors underlying
disasters.
 HAZARDS, DISASTERS, AND DISASTER
RISK
• HAZARD – is a threat or harm that has the
potential to cause damage to a community.

• Two main types of Hazard: natural and man-

made.
• DISASTER – is any event that causes
widespread human, economic, and
environmental losses or impacts that seriously
disrupt the normal functioning of a
community.
• DISASTER RISK – determines the tendency of a
community to face disasters.
- May be specific to a location or condition of a
community.
• Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the
United Nations, once said, “We cannot
eliminate disaster (hazard), but we can
mitigate the risk. We can reduce damage and
save more lives.”
 Types of Disasters
• Natural Disasters – are devastating outcomes
that result from natural hazards. Examples:
collapse of houses from landslides and
grasslands from volcanic eruptions.

• Man-made Disasters – also called

technological disasters, are destructions from
man-made hazards such as bomb explosions,
chemical spills, and even war.
 Effects of Disasters
• It vary, mostly depending on the severity of
the exposure of life, property, and the
environment to the hazard.
• According to measurable severity, the effects
of disasters are primary, secondary, and
tertiary in nature.
• Primary effects – are direct situations arising
from the disaster itself.
• Secondary effects – are situations resulting
from the primary effects.
• Tertiary effects – are those that are not
experienced as a disaster is taking place but
can be felt some time after the disaster has
occurred.
 The Harmful Effects of Disasters in
Various Aspects
Social
• Abrupt loss of lives
• Crime
• Domestic violence
• Human migration
• Human displacement (temporary or permanent)
• Rise of new hazards (natural and anthropogenic)
• Separation from family, and relatives
• Disruption of social/community activities
• Slowdown of progress and development
 Economics
• Loss of economic
• Temporary or permanent loss of livelihood
• Food, water, land, and fuel scarcity
• Rise of new hazards (natural and
anthropogenic)
 Physical
• Permanent or temporary damage to physical
infrastructures like road networks, bridges,
dams, buildings, houses, etc.
• Permanent or temporary loss of physical
possessions, such as house, land, cars,
appliances, jewelries, documents, etc.
• Property displacement
• Rise of new hazards (natural and
anthropogenic)
 Health
• Permanent or temporary injury, disability, or
illness
• Fear of the unknown (phobia)
• Physical stress
• Psychological trauma
• Epidemic
• Pandemic
• Rise of new hazards (natural and anthropogenic)
 Environmental
• Damage to agricultural and other types of land
• Ecological imbalance
• Damage or loss of habitat
• Animal migration
• Animal displacement
• Biological extinction
• Rise of new hazards (natural and anthropogenic)
 The Benefits of Disasters
• Increasing awareness of hazards and disasters
• Providing a better understanding of how natural processes
work
• Aiding in the development of instrumentation for
predicting hazards
• Prompting people to build a culture of safety and
prevention
• Serving as an occasion to appreciate the gift of nature
• Acting as channels through which nature corrects its
imperfections, adjusts to changes, and attains balance
• Bringing people together and strengthening the culture of
“bayanihan” (communal work or unity)
 Affected Components
• People

• Building and infrastructure

• Economy

• Environment