Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

Chapter 1 The Relationship between Hazard,

Basic Concept of Disaster Disaster, and Vulnerability
and Disaster Risk

Section 1.1
Concept of Disaster

The Occurrence of a Disaster

The occurrence of a disaster depends on the

interplay between a natural phenomenon or
event (that can turn into a hazard) and the
vulnerability of populations exposed (exposure
and vulnerability).

When Does a Natural Event

Become a Hazard?
Factors That Determine the Magnitude of Disaster
 Natural events do not automatically
become hazards, much less cause disasters.
 The severity of the natural event
 Under what circumstances then do natural
 The quantity of exposure of the elements
phenomena can be considered hazards?
at risk which includes lives and properties
Natural phenomena can be considered
 Vulnerability level or quality of exposure
hazards when the threat of damage, injury,
The Elements of Risk
and even death exists.
When Does a Hazard  Thus, Disaster Risk can be expressed as a
Become a Disaster? function of hazard, exposure, and
vulnerability or
 A disaster happens when the probable
destructive agent, known as the hazard,
Disaster Risk = Hazard x Exposure x Vulnerability
hits a vulnerable populated area.
 Therefore, a natural event like a volcanic Disaster Risk Reduction through Reduction of
eruption or tsunami becomes a disaster
Exposure and Vulnerability
only if it hits vulnerable populations and
properties.
Section 1.2
Disaster Risk

Recognizing the Differences

of Disasters

No two disasters are alike. And although some are

definitely similar, appreciating their differences in
terms of their nature and magnitude of triggering
Section 1.3
hazards, exposed elements at risk, and
Nature and Effects of Disasters
vulnerabilities will help us deal with potential
disasters. It Pays to Be Aware

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 disasters.
Characteristics of Disasters
 Disasters are inherently unexpected or
come quickly with little or no warning,
resulting in, widespread death, injury, and
property damage.
 Disasters cannot be managed through
normal means, thus, they often require
immediate and effective intervention of
both national government agencies (NGAs)
and non-government organizations (NGOs)
to help meet the needs of the victims.
 They know no political boundary.
 They require restructured and new
responding organizations.
 They create new tasks and requires more
people as disaster responders.
 They render inutile routine emergency
response equipment and facilities.
 They worsen confusion in understanding
roles of peoples and organizations
 They expose lack of disaster planning,
response and coordination. Inexperienced
disaster organizations often fail to see what
their proper roles are.
Impacts of Disasters
 Deaths
 Destruction or damage to homes and
buildings
 Destruction of crops and decreased quality
or quantity of water
 Medical effects
 Damage to critical facilities
 Disruption of transportation
 Wider economic impact
 Global environmental change
 Social and political impact
Chapter 2
Exposure and Vulnerability
Section 2.1
Various Elements That May Be Exposed to Hazards:
Environmental, Social, and Economic
Elements at Risk and Exposure
 Elements at risk are the people,
properties, economic activities, and
private and public services potentially
threatened by a harmful event.
 Risk assessment involves the identification
and mapping of the elements at risk and
the assessment of vulnerability.
 As the risk model (Risk = Hazard x
Exposure x Vulnerability) shows, risk is
also a function of hazard.
 Hazard refers to the probability of
occurrence at a given magnitude.
 Exposed element can refer to the
number of people or structures
within the exposed area.
 The combination of both hazard and
exposed population provides the physical
exposure:
PhExp = Hazard x Exposure
where:
PhExp = physical exposure for the affected
area
Hazard = probability of occurrence of an
event at a given magnitude
Exposure = total population living in the
affected area for each event
Dimensions of Exposure and Vulnerability
• Social
• The social dimension of exposure and
vulnerability covers a wide range of
concerns including migration, social groups,
health and well-being, education, culture,
institutions, and governance aspects.
• Demography is the most important aspect.
• Population density maps are excellent
indicators of exposure and vulnerability.
• Environmental
• The physical aspects of exposure and
vulnerability refer to location and built
structures.
• Detailed list of the physical elements
exposed to various hazards:
Essential Facilities
• educational facilities
• medical and healthcare facilities (e.g.,
hospitals and clinics)
• emergency response facilities (e.g., fire
station, police station, and shelters)
• government offices
• recreational or tourist facilities (e.g., hotels,
resorts, parks, public gardens, camping
grounds, sporting areas, etc.)
• places of worship (e.g., churches or
mosques)
• banks and financial centers
• markets and shopping centers
 • cemeteries
2. Industrial and High Potential Loss Facilities
and Facilities Containing Hazardous
Materials
• dams and ponds
• fuel reservoirs, pipelines, and pumps
• power (electric) generating plants and lines
• multi-purpose hydropower plants, water tanks,
and lines
• food processing facilities
3. Transportation Lifelines
• highways, bridges, railway tracks, and tunnels
• bus facilities
• port and harbor facilities
• airport facilities and runways
4. Utility Lifelines
• potable water facilities, waste water facilities,
pipelines, and distribution lines
• oil and natural gas systems facilities, pipelines,
and distribution lines
• electric power facilities and distribution lines
• communication facilities (stations) and
distribution lines (cables and networks)
Economic
• Among the economic effects of a hazard
event include business interruptions due to
accessibility problems, loss of jobs and
access to work, and loss of government
income due to inability of businesses and
people to pay taxes at a time when more
funds are needed for relief and
rehabilitation.
• Disasters may also significantly affect the
gross domestic product (GDP)
Section 2.2
Vulnerability of Each Exposed Element
Addressing Vulnerability from Exposure
Recent earthquake, volcanic, and
hydrometeorological hazard events highlight the
need to assess the vulnerability levels of areas of
the Philippines that are exposed to these hazards.
With this, resources available can be made to work
more efficiently to reduce vulnerabilities. Such
measures include mitigation, prediction and
warning, preparedness, and building capacities to
withstand and cope with hazards. The root causes
of vulnerability, such as poverty and poor
governance, must also be addressed to sustain
efforts to reduce vulnerability
Factors of Vulnerability
• Social
The most vulnerable populations are:
• people with disabilities
• children
• seniors
• medication-dependent individuals (e.g., diabetics
and schizophrenics)
• women, especially those who are single, single
parents, or the unemployed
• ethnic minorities, aboriginal or indigenous people
• homeless or “street people”
• incarcerated individuals
• marginalized groups (i.e., by society or the
community)
Environmental
• Developing nations face more exposure
and vulnerability because of their relative
inability to adapt to changes and to create
wealth that may enhance resilience.
• Rapid urbanization in hazardous areas
heightens vulnerability to disaster risk.
• Increase in population will make it more
difficult for governments and citizens hard
up for funds to cope with the effects of
hazard events.
• The increasing number of informal settlers
forced by circumstances to occupy areas at
or close to river systems, coastal areas, and
steep hillsides exposes more people to
inundation and landslides.
Economic
• Economic vulnerability is the susceptibility
of individuals, communities, businesses,
and governments to absorb or cushion the
effects of a hazard event.
• Rural households are found to be more
vulnerable than those in urban
environments because of the greater
number of those living in poverty, which is
tied to the more limited access to markets
and other services.
• Women are more vulnerable than men
partly because they lack access to
livelihoods, coupled with family
responsibilities and reproductive role.
Quantifying Vulnerability
• Vulnerability can be expressed simply as a
quantity between 0 (lowest degree of
vulnerability) and 1 (highest degree of
vulnerability).
• For people, vulnerability can be measured
as a ratio of casualties or injured to the
total population.
• For buildings, it can also be expressed as a
repair cost or as the degree of physical
damage. When dealing with a larger area, it
 may be measured in terms of the
proportion of damaged buildings.
Chapter 3
Basic Concept of Hazard
What Is a Hazard?
 Hazards are the potentials for damage to
man and his environment that may result
from the occurrence of natural events
such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,
floods, and storm surges.
 An event per se does not constitute a
hazard. It is only when man and his
environment are threatened that these
events can be considered hazards.
 The probabilities of occurrence of hazard
events may be estimated.
Types of Hazard
Section 3.2
Characteristics Of Hazard
Important Aspects of Hazards
• Magnitude and intensity
 Magnitude of the event is a
measure of its strength and is an
indication of how destructive it
can be.
 Intensity is a measure on the
impacts on the ground, on people,
and on structures.
• Speed of onset
 Among the most important
aspects of hazards
 How predictable a hazard is and
how much lead time is allowed by
it, is critical in determining how
damaging it will be.
 The more predictable an event is,
the lesser the chance of incurring
casualties and damages.
• Duration
 Duration becomes a concern as
the chance of experiencing severe
damage will depend on how long
the hazard affects an area.
 In the same manner, the larger the
aerial extent or scope of an event
is, the greater the potential for
damage will be.
The Occurrence of an Event
 Frequency refers to how often an event
occurs.
 Sometimes frequency is expressed in
terms of return period.
 Another way of describing the timing of a
hazard is by estimating its probability of
occurrence.
Section 3.3
Hazard Identification,Assessment, and
Mapping
Hazard Assessment
“Hazard Assessment is the process of
estimating, for defined areas, the
probabilities of the occurrence of
potentially damaging phenomenon of given
magnitude within a specified period of time”.
- UNDRO
Hazard Assessment Vs. Risk Assessment
 Risk Assessment involves both the
assessment of hazards from a scientific
point of view and the socioeconomic
impacts of a hazardous event.
 Thus, without hazard assessment, no risk
assessment can be complete.
Some Methods to Assess Natural Hazards
• Quantitative Approach
Mathematical functions or equations relating
the hazard variables used are formulated or
adopted to quantify the hazard. Data from past
historical records and from those derived from
basic science principles are used to come up with
the relationship between the variables
considered.
• Qualitative Approach
Instead of representing with numbers, this
method uses expert opinion in ranking in relative
terms the intensity or probability of occurrence of
a hazard event. This method is preferred
especially when data is not enough to come up
with a quantitative evaluation or when it is not
possible to express numerically one or more
variables.
• Probabilistic Approach
It provides an objective estimate of the
probability of each hazard affecting an area or
region by considering past record of events.
Probability of occurrence of rainfall of a given
intensity can be estimated, for example, by
ranking past rainfalls and applying the appropriate
statistical method of analysis. For earthquakes,
probabilistic ground motion maps combine the
likely ground shaking caused by earthquakes
from all nearby earthquake generators over a
specified time period.
• Deterministic Approach
This is a more subjective approach of
estimating probability. A past event of a given
intensity or magnitude is selected and the
consequences at certain intensities are described.
The use of deterministic hazard assessment avoids
the under-estimation of hazard at a site.
Hazard Mapping
 Hazard mapping is the process of
identifying the spatial variation of hazard
events or physical conditions (e.g.,
potential ground shaking, steep slopes,
flood plains, and hazardous materials
sites).
 Through this process, one side of the
hazard-exposure-vulnerability risk triangle
may be displayed in hazard maps.
 Hazard maps are indispensable for
information and education campaigns to
hazards scientists, and to land use
planners.
 Hazard maps are quite useful in
communicating vital information about
the spatial variation of size and potential
intensity of a particular hazard.
Geographic Information System (GIS).
A GIS displays maps and assigns attributes to
map units (points, lines, and areas). It analyzes
data associated with the map units. It is a
powerful tool for integrating individual map
layers, through its overlay function, to come up
with a hazard map.
Multiple Hazard Maps (MHM)
MHMs provide comprehensive information on
the magnitude, frequency, and area of effect of all
the hazards combined.
Section 4.1
Ground Shaking
How Earthquake Vibrations
Are Generated
 The elastic rebound theory suggests that
elastic strain energy builds up in the
deforming rocks on either side of the fault
until it overcomes the resistance posed by
any irregularity on the fault plane.
 When the slippage does occur, energy is
released. The elastic energy released is
transported by seismic waves that travel
throughout the earth.
Three Main Types of Seismic Waves
• (1) P (Primary) waves and (2) S
(Secondary) waves are called body waves
as these travel in the rocks below the
surface of the earth.
• (3) Surface waves travel outward from the
epicenter. They also travel slower than the
other two seismic wave types.