Quarter 1 – Module 1:

Disaster and Disaster Risk

What I Need to Know

Every year, millions of people around the world are affected by either human-
caused or natural disasters. Disasters take different forms, like volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, or fires. In a disaster, people face the
danger of death or physical injury. They may also lose their home, possessions, and
community where they live in. Disasters can cause a full range of mental and
physical reactions. Those affected may also react to problems that occur after the
event, as well as to triggers or reminders of the trauma.
This module is about definition of disaster and disaster risk, risks factors
underlying disasters, effects of natural disasters on human life, how and when an
event becomes a disaster, and areas and locations exposed to hazards. It consists
of the following lesson:
• Lesson 1 – Definition of Disaster and Disaster Risk
• Lesson 2 – Risk Factors Underlying Disasters
• Lesson 3 – Effects of Natural Disasters on Human Life

Learning Objectives
After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Explain the meaning of disaster,

2. Differentiate the risk factors underlying disaster;
3. Describe the effects of disaster on one’s life.

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What I Know

A. Encircle the letter of your correct choice that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
1. A process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or
other health impacts, properly damage, social and economic disruption or
environmental degradation is called ______________________.
a. Disaster b. Emergency c. Hazard d. Vulnerability

2. The following are common long-term impacts of natural hazards EXCEPT

a. Destruction of vital infrastructure like roads and bridges.
b. Disconnection of communication lines
c. Widespread loss of housing
d. Permanent disability

3. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a widespread human,

material, economic or environmental losses is called __________________.
a. Disaster b. Vulnerability c. Resiliency d. Hazard

4. The variables that amplify the effects of hazards, affecting the degree or scope of
a disaster is called ______________________.
a. Exposure b. Elements at risk c. Risk drivers d. Vulnerability

5. Which is not an effect of disaster on human life?

a. Food Scarcity c. Displaced Population
b. Illnesses and disease d. Disturbance of Biodiversity

6. Disaster frequently result in all of the following EXCEPT

a. Displacement of populations
b. Damage to the ecological environment
c. Destruction of a population’s homeland
d. Adequate supply of goods and services

7. It is the chance or likelihood of suffering harm and loss as a result of a hazardous

event.
a. vulnerability b. disaster c. disaster risk d. hazard

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8. Disaster is frequently described as a result of various condition except
___________________.
a. exposure to hazard
b. having enough physical, social, and attitudinal capabilities
c. conditions of vulnerability at present
d. insufficient capacity or measures to cope with disasters

9. Which can be prevented but can be anticipated generally?

a. human-made hazards c. Socionatural hazards
b. Disasters d. Natural Hazards

10. Which group belongs to the most vulnerable?

a. professional c. indigenous people
b. government officials d. small entrepreneurs

11. Which is not a volcanic hazard?

a. carbon dioxide b. lapilli c. turbulent ash cloud d. mudflow

12. All of the following are TRUE about disasters EXCEPT:

a. A disaster may be domestic or international
b. A disaster may be caused by nature or human origins
c. A disaster always receives widespread media coverage
d. A disaster may have a known and gradual onset

13. Which is possible cause of earthquake?

a. Tsunami b. Volcanic Eruption c. Landslide d. Typhoon

14. Which is not an example of capacity?

a. adequate income c. local knowledge
b. savings d. isolation

15. Which is not a geological hazard?

a. Earthquake b. Tsunami c. Tephra Fall d. Tornado

Key to answers on page 17

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Lesson Definition of Disaster
1 and
Disaster Risk
What’s In
Identify the following event that is happening in the picture.

1.
2.

3.
4.

5. 6.

7.
8.

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9. 10.

Key to answers on page 17

What’s New
Provide a word that associate the word DISASTER inside the cloud
that surround.

Disaster

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What is it
Disaster is defined as a serious disruption of
functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or
environmental losses, which exceed the ability of the affected
people to cope using their own resources.

An event, either man-made or natural, sudden

or progressive, causing widespread human, material
or environmental losses.

Examples of Disaster

Typhoon Yolanda
➢ Strength 290 km/hr
➢ The storm surge it brought was sudden
and unexpected.
➢ Its devastating effect to human, material, and
environment.
➢ More than 7,000 people perished
➢ The entire city of Tacloban was flattened

Wowowe Stampede
➢ The became so popular that thousands of fans
flock to ULTRA to watch the noon time show. That
turned out to disastrous tragedy when there was a
human-induced disturbance among the watching
crowd that cause a stampede. Many spectators
were hurt and some even died which led to the
dissolution of the said TV program.

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 Typhoon Ondoy
➢ Typhoon Ondoy turned into a disaster
because of the amount of precipitation
brought by its torrential rains that lasted
for several days causing flood and flash
floods in Metro Manila.
➢ Thousand of houses were submerge in
flood water. Hundreds of shelters along
river banks and steros were washed out.
Power and water supplies were cut off
for several weeks. Hundreds of lives
perished.

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.
➢ It signifies the possibility of adverse effects in the future. It is derived from the
interaction of social and environmental process, from the combination of
physical hazards and the vulnerability of exposed elements.

Nature of Disasters
Natural Disaster – these originate from the different
‘forces’ of nature. Natural disasters such as earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and cyclones affect many countries
in Asia particularly the Philippines.

Human-made – these disasters occur due to people’s

actions against human, material, and environment. These
include transport and industrial accidents, such as air and train
crashes, chemical spills, and building collapses. Terrorism is
also categorized as human-made disaster.

Types of Disaster
Natural Disaster
• Agricultural disease and pests
• Storm Surge
• Drought and water shortage
• Earthquakes

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 • Hurricanes and Tropical storm
• Landslide and debris flow
• Thunder storm and lightning
• Tornadoes
• Tsunamis
• Wildfires
• Sinkholes
• Emergency disease
• Extreme heat
• Floods and flash floods
• La Niῆa

Human-Made and Technological Types of Disasters

• Hazardous material
• Power service and siruption and blackout
• Nuclear power plant and nuclear blast
• Radiological emergencies
• Chemical threat and biological weapons
• Cyber Attacks
• Explosion
• Civil Unrest

What’s More
Direction: Read the newspaper article. Based on the details of the articles,
provide the indicated key concepts on the blank provided for.

Surprise

Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said many people were caught by surprise
when water rose one meter (three feet) high in less than an hour, forcing people onto
roofs. “Most of them were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes.
This the worst flooding our city has experienced in years. “The national disaster
agency said it could not estimate crop and property damage because emergency
workers, including soldiers and police officers, were evacuating families and
recovering casualties. Benito Ramos, head of the NDRRMC told reporters Mindanao
residents were warned about the dangers posed by the storm days earlier but
elected not to move to safe areas. He said Mindanao was rarely visited by storms,
even as 20 major storms strike the Philippines annually, with the most hitting Luzon,
the largest and most populous island in the Southeast Asian archipelago. “We
expect huge damage, especially on agriculture,” Ramos said. Two of the three rivers
that flow into the port of Iligan had overflowed, he added, and a popular radio
commentator was among those killed. Other affected areas on Mindanao included

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Bukidnon province, where 47 people died, while nine other people were killed
elsewhere on the island, Pang of the Red Cross said.

1. What disaster has taken place?

2. Was the disaster caused by natural or

manmade event?

3. What did the disaster incur to the

community?

4. Did the community know about the

occurrence of the disaster?

5. What did the community do to prepare

for the impacts of the disaster?

Key to answers on page 17

What I Have Learned

Fact Checking:
WHAT I KNOW ABOUT DISASTER
Before Now

What I Can Do
Identify whether the following item is a hazard or a disaster.
1. A super typhoon with storm surge affecting Leyte.
2. A typhoon passing over remote and unpopulated island.
3. A flood in rural area which floods the roads but does not
affect any houses.
4. A volcano erupting an isolation in the middle of Pacific
Ocean.
5. An avalanche in ski report.
6. An avalanche high on the mountain and slopes remote from
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 ant settlements.
7. A tsunami wave 5 meters high off the cost of Japan.
8. An earthquake in Davao.
9. A drought and wildfire in Brazil.
10. A landslide in Tiwi last 2018.

Key to answers on page 18

Lesson
2 Risk Factors Underlying Disasters

What’s In

Disaster is a calamitous event that brings destruction to human life,

environment, and other material elements. Disaster risk is the probability that a community’s
structure or geographic area is to be damaged or disrupted by the impact of a particular
hazard.
Disaster is generally classified natural and human-made. Natural disasters
originate from the “forces” of nature, like earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, floods,
flash floods, tornadoes, storm surge etc. Oil spill, nuclear reactions and leaks, hazardous
materials, terrorism and the like are considered human-made disasters.

What’s New
Answer the question below.
What do you know about disasters risk?

What is it

Risks Factors Underlying Disasters

➢ Severity of Exposure

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 The amount of exposure to the disaster is highly related to risk of future
mental problems. At higher risk are those that go through the disaster themselves.
Next are those in close contact with victims. At lower risk of lasting impact are those
who only had indirect exposure, such as news of the severe damage.

➢ Gender and Family

Disaster recovery is more stressful when children are present in the home.
Women with spouses also experience more distress during the recovery. Having a
family member in the home who is extremely distressed is related to more stress for
everyone. Marital stress has been found to increase after disasters. Also, conflicts
between family members or lack of support in the home make it harder to recover
from disasters.

➢ Age
Adults who are in the age range of 40-60 are likely to be more distressed after
disasters. The thinking is that if one is in that age range, he/she has more demands
from job and family. In general, children show more severe distress after disasters
than do adults. Higher stress in the parents is related to worse recovery in children.

Other factors specific to the survivor’s background and resources are important fro
recovery from disasters. Recovery is worse if survivors:
• We’re not functioning well before the disaster
• Have had no experience dealing with
• Must deal with other stressors after the disaster
• Have poor self-esteem
• Think they are uncared for by others
• Think they have little control over what happens to them
• Lack the capacity to manage stress
Other factors have also been found to predict worse outcomes:
• Bereavement (death of someone else)
• Injury to self or another family member
• Life threat
• Panic, horror, or feelings like that during the disaster
• Being separated from family (especially among youth)
• Great loss of property
• Displacement (being forced to leave home)

➢ Developing Countries

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 There is a strong body evidence that these risk factors can be made worse if
the disaster occurs in a developing country. Disasters in developing countries, like
the Philippines, have more severe mental health impact than do disasters in
developed countries. This is true even with less serious disasters.

➢ Low or Negative Social Support

The support of others can be both a risk and a resilience factor. Social
support can weaken after disasters. This may be due to stress and the need for
members of the support network to get on with their own lives.

What’s More
Let students ponder and answer the question.
1. Will a hazard always cause a disaster?
Sample situation: There is a volcano in the middle of an uninhabited dessert.
What is the hazard? Will there be a human disaster if the volcano erupts?

What I Have Learned

Differentiate the risk factors underlying disaster.

What Can I Do
What factors define disaster risk?

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Lesson Effects of Natural Disasters
3 on Human Life

What’s In

These are several risk factors underlying a disaster. These are: 1)

severity of exposure, 2) gender 3) family, 4) age, 5) developing countries and 6) low
or negative social support. These factors are determinants of the degree of disaster
risk.

What’s New
What do you think are the effects of natural disaster on human life?

What Is It

Effects of Natural Disasters on Human Life

➢ Displaced Populations
One of the most immediate effects of natural disasters is
population displacement. When countries are ravaged by
earthquakes or other powerful forces of nature like floods and
super typhoons, many people have to abandon their homes and
seek shelter in other regions. A large influx of refugees can disrupt
accessibility of health care and education, as well as food supplies
and clean water.
When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, thousands of families in
Zambales and Pampanga were displaced. Their communities were
ravaged by lahar flow that turned these communities.
➢ Health Risks
Aside from the obvious immediate danger that natural
disasters present, the secondary effects can be just as
damaging. Severe flooding can result in stagnant water that
allows breeding of waterborne bacteria and malaria-carrying
mosquitoes. Dengue fever is another serious health problem
cause by mosquitoes (aegis egypti). Without emergency
relief from international danger has passed.

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 ➢ Food Scarcity
After natural disasters, food often becomes scarce. Thousands
of people around the world go hungry as a result of destroyed crops
and loss of agricultural supplies, whether it happens suddenly in a
storm or gradually in a drought. As a result, food prices rise, reducing
families’ purchasing power and increasing the risk of severe
malnutrition. The impacts of hunger following an earthquake, typhoon
or hurricane can be tremendous, cause lifelong damage to children’s development.

➢ Emotional Aftershocks
Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for
young children. Confronted with scenes of destruction and the
deaths of friends and loved ones, many children develop
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious
psychological condition resulting from extreme trauma. Left
untreated, children suffering form PTSD can be prone to
lasting psychological damage and emotional distress.

What’s More
What are the effects of disaster on human’s life?

What I Have Learned

Describe the effects of disaster on human’s life.

What Can I Do
Answer the following questions;
1. How to keep ourselves safe during the disaster?
2. What are the conditions before a disaster is about to come?
3. What precautions should we talk to prevent such a disaster?

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Assessment
A. Encircle the letter of your correct choice that best completes the statement
or answers the question.
1. A process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life,
injury or other health impacts, properly damage, social and economic
disruption or environmental degradation is called ______________________.

a. Disaster b. Emergency c. Hazard d. Vulnerability

2. The following are common long-term impacts of natural hazards EXCEPT

a. Destruction of vital infrastructure like roads and bridges.
b. Disconnection of communication lines
c. Widespread loss of housing
d. Permanent disability

3. A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a widespread human,

material, economic or environmental losses is called __________________.
a. Disaster b. Vulnerability c. Resiliency d. Hazard

4. The variables that amplify the effects of hazards, affecting the degree or scope of
a disaster is called ______________________.
a. Exposure b. Elements at risk c. Risk drivers d. Vulnerability

5. Which is not an effect of disaster on human life?

a. Food Scarcity c. Displaced Population
b. Illnesses and disease d. Disturbance of Biodiversity

6. Disaster frequently result in all of the following EXCEPT

a. Displacement of populations
b. Damage to the ecological environment
c. Destruction of a population’s homeland
d. Adequate supply of goods and services

7. It is the chance or likelihood of suffering harm and loss as a result of a hazardous

event.
a. vulnerability b. disaster c. disaster risk d. hazard

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8. Disaster is frequently described as a result of various condition except
___________________.
a. exposure to hazard
b. having enough physical, social, and attitudinal capabilities
c. conditions of vulnerability at present
d. insufficient capacity or measures to cope with disasters

9. Which can be prevented but can be anticipated generally?

a. human-made hazards c. Socionatural hazards
b. Disasters d. Natural Hazards

10. Which group belongs to the most vulnerable?

a. professional c. indigenous people
b. government officials d. small entrepreneurs

11. Which is not a volcanic hazard?

a. carbon dioxide b. lapilli c. turbulent ash cloud d. mudflow

12. All of the following are TRUE about disasters EXCEPT:

a. A disaster may be domestic or international
b. A disaster may be caused by nature or human origins
c. A disaster always receives widespread media coverage
d. A disaster may have a known and gradual onset

13. Which is possible cause of earthquake?

a. Tsunami b. Volcanic Eruption c. Landslide d. Typhoon

14. Which is not an example of capacity?

a. adequate income c. local knowledge
b. savings d. isolation

15. Which is not a geological hazard?

a. Earthquake b. Tsunami c. Tephra Fall d. Tornado

Key to answers on page 18

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Additional Activities
Conduct a research or present a paper of some events in the Philippine
context that turned to a disaster. Classify such event whether they are natural or
human-made.
Answers to Questions
Pre Test

1. A 9. A
2. B 10. C
3. A 11. B
4. D 12. C
5. D 13. D
6. D 14. D
7. C 15. D
8. B

Lesson 1
What’s in
1.Fire 6. Storm Surge
2.Volcanic Eruption 7. Tornado
3. Earthquake 8. Typhoon
4.Flash Flood 9. Storm Surge
5.Typhoon 10. Drought

What’s New
1. Storm
2.Natural Hazard
3.Crop and property damage, families evacuate,
damage on agriculture, and many people died
4.No
5.Residents warned the community of the danger
caused by the storm

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What I Can Do

1. Disaster
2. Hazard
3. Hazard
4. Disaster
5. Disaster
6. Hazard
7. Disaster
8.Disaster
9. Disaster
10.Disaster

Assessment

1. A 9. A
2. B 10. C
3. A 11. B
4. D 12. C
5. D 13. D
6. D 14. D
7. C 15. D
8. B

-End of Module-

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References

Quebral, Villamor S, 2016. Disaster Readiness & Risk Reduction. Quezon City,
Metro Manila, Lorimar Publishing Inc.

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