•Exposure and vulnerability are part and parcel of the

disaster equation. In some cases, exposure and

vulnerability are the main determinants of disaster.
Prospective hazard scientists and social scientists should
not lose sight of these.
•Exposure – the degree to which the elements at risk
are likely to experience hazard events of different
magnitude. It is the quality or state of being exposed to
the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either
physically or emotionally.
•Vulnerability – a condition or sets of conditions that
reduces people’s ability to prepare for, withstand or
respond to a hazard. It is the inability to resist a
hazard or to respond when a disaster has occurred.
•For instance, people who live on plains are more
vulnerable to floods than people who live higher up.
•Capacity – a combination of all strength and resources
available within the community, society, organization that
can reduce level of risk or effects of disaster.
•This may include infrastructure and physical means,
institutions, societal coping abilities as well as human
knowledge, skills and collective attributes.
•Components of Exposure
1. People, property, systems and
other elements. Exposure
involves specific elements which
we must be able to identify
and give a name to. Elements
may be tangible or intangible.
2. Present in hazard zones.
Elements should be located
within an area and duration
of time during which a
specific hazard event or set
of hazard events can occur.
3. That are thereby subject to
potential loss. Elements
should have value or
importance assigned to
them for it to be subject
to potential loss.
•Various Elements that may be Exposed to Hazards
•Lack of awareness about the range of consequences of a
hazard event is the big awareness why many take natural
hazards for granted.
•Elements at risk are the people, properties, economic activities
and private and public services threatened by a harmful
event.
• Risk Assessment – involves the identification
and mapping of the elements at risk and the
assessment of vulnerability.
• Exposed Element – the number of people or structures within the exposed area.
• Physical Exposure – combination of both hazard and exposed population.
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
• Social, Environmental
and Economic
Dimensions of Exposure
and Vulnerability
• The Dimensions of
Exposure and Factors
of Vulnerability
• The reference defines systems for classifying elements at risk. In the
Philippines, the one used by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centers
(ADPC) is the one most widely used. In this system, elements at risk are
classified into four types namely:
• Physical
• Societal
• Economic
• Environmental
a. Societal – it covers a wide •Culture
range of concerns that •Institution
includes: •Government aspects
•Mitigation •Demography
•Social groups
•Population Density Map –
•Health and Well-being indicators of exposure and
•Education vulnerability.
b. Physical – the physical aspects of exposure and
vulnerability, refers to location and built strictures.
1. Essential Facilities
•Educational facilities
•Medical and health care facilities
•Emergency response facilities
•Government offices
•Recreational or tourist facilities
•Place of worship
•Banks and financial centers
•Market and shopping centers
•Cemeteries
2. Industrial and High Potential Loss Facilities and Facilities
Containing Hazardous Material
•Dams and ponds
•Fuel reservoirs, pipelines, pumps
•Power generating plants and lines
•Multipurpose hydropower plants, water tanks, lines
•Food processing facilities
3. Transportation Lifelines
•Highway, bridges, railway tracks, 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 and distribution lines
•Electric power facilities and distribution lines
•Communication facilities and distribution lines
c. Economic – significant
effect on the gross d. Environmental
domestic product. •Deforestation
•Business interruptions •Ground Subsidence
•loss of government income
 “But vulnerability isn’t the opposite of strength. It’s a
necessary part. We have to force ourselves to open up, to
expose ourselves, to offer up everything we have and just
pray that it’s good enough. Otherwise, we’ll never succeed.”
-Dr. Meredith Grey