5/25/2021 CODE 147: CFED 1061- CICM in Action: Environmental Protection Management - Disaster Risk Reduction -

CODE 147: CFED 1061- CICM in Action: Environmental Protection Management

Disaster Risk Reduction

Disaster Risk Reduction

Disasters are a major problem worldwide and a serious threat to sustainable development. Their impacts are diverse: as well as loss of life, injury
and disease and the destruction of property and other assets, disasters can also cause social and economic disruption, loss of infrastructure and
other services and damage to the environment. In an increasingly integrated world economy built on networks of global supply chains, disasters in
one country can easily affect others, and a shock or disruption to one part of the supply chain, such as a production plant or distribution center, can
have a ripple effect throughout the whole chain. This was illustrated well by two disasters in 2011, an earthquake and tsunami in Japan and
extensive flooding in Thailand. Both countries are important suppliers of parts, components and finished products to industries and markets
worldwide. In both cases, production of a range of export products was severely disrupted, with a knock-on impact on producers and consumers in
many other countries (UNISDR, 2013).

CONCEPTS OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-
economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: Here it has been strongly
influenced by the mass of research on vulnerability that has appeared in print since the mid-1970s (Wisner B et al. 2004). It is the responsibility of
development and relief agencies alike. It should be an integral part of the way such organizations do their work, not an add-on or one-off action.
DRR is very wide-ranging: Its scope is much broader and deeper than conventional emergency management. There is potential for DRR initiatives
in just about every sector of development and humanitarian work.
The most commonly cited definition of DRR is one used by UN agencies such as UNISDR, also known as the UN Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction, and UNDP: "The conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster
risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the
broad context of sustainable development." (UNISDR, 2004)

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION VS DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

MANAGEMENT

The policy objective of anticipating and reducing risk is called Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Although often used interchangeably with
DRR, Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) can be thought of as the implementation of DRR, since it describes the actions that

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aim to achieve the objective of reducing risk. Disaster risk is an indicator of poor development, so reducing disaster risk requires
integrating DRR policy and DRM practice into sustainable development goals (UNISDR, 2015).

VARIABLES OF DETERMINING DISASTER RISK

EXPOSURE

Exposure is the probability that the shock will occur within a given time frame. This can be measured using the number of people and types of
assets in an area, such as topography and physical features, proximity to mountains, bodies of water, factories, buildings, etc., and temperature,
among others, that "exposes the area to hazards. These then can be combined with the specific vulnerability of the exposed elements to any
particular hazard to estimate the quantitative risks associated with that hazard in the area of interest (Basas, 2016).

VULNERABILITY

Vulnerability is the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards. It is comprised of characteristics and circumstances that a community has
that makes it accessible and somehow, defenseless against the impact of hazards (Basas, 2016).

Studies show that natural disasters strike more in developing countries than in developed ones. For the likelihood of volcanic eruptions alone,
developing countries are prone to these hazards because of being surrounded by volcanoes because of the Pacific ring of fire located in many
Asian and South American countries. Meanwhile, the position of most developing countries - notably Africa and Asia - near the equator makes them
prone to El Niño and droughts.

Therefore, developing countries are more exposed and vulnerable than the developed ones, and the poor in developing countries - those who live
in poor-quality housing, with no insurance and savings, and no immediate access to information and services - are the most vulnerable of all
(Basas, 2016).

CATEGORIES OF VULNERABILITY

There are three categories of vulnerability: physical, social/organizational, and motivational/attitudinal.

According to UNISDR, physical vulnerability refers to the susceptibility of individuals, households and communities to lose due to the physical
environment in which they find themselves. Therefore, aspects such as location, housing design and engineering, land use planning, accessibility to
services, population density levels, a distance of settlement from other establishments, among others, are important in determining the physical
vulnerability of a community (Basas, 2016).

Meanwhile, social/organizational vulnerability refers to the level of social well-being of individuals, households and communities that directly impact
on their level of vulnerability to hazards. Aspects such as levels of education, literacy and training, safety and security, access to basic human
rights, social equity, information and awareness, strong cultural beliefs and traditional values, morality, good governance and a well-organized
cohesive civil society, among others, all contribute to social wellbeing with physical, mental and psycho logical health being critical aspects (Basas,
2016).

Lastly, motivational/attitudinal vulnerability refers to the set of philosophies, beliefs, mindset, and perspectives of the individuals and the community
in general that make them vulnerable to disasters. Examples of these are their overall attitude towards living and towards change. Their religion and
faith also come into play - do they leave everything to the Creator and accept things as they are? These views in life are also essential in
determining the vulnerability of a given community (Basas, 2016).

CAPACITY

Capacity refers to the combination of all the strengths, attributes, and resources available within a community, society or organization that can be
used to achieve agreed goals. This includes both tangible and intangible matters, such as infrastructure and physical means, institutions, societal
coping abilities, as well as human knowledge, skills and collective at tributes such as social relationships, leadership, and management (Basas,
2016).

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Supporting systems and mechanisms to the individuals and the community, in general, may also be counted as capacity. These support systems
may be internal to the community such as long-standing practices and traditions, or external such as assistance from the national and local
governments, external entities and organizations, or even adjacent and nearby communities

Two cities in a country may be exposed to the same hazard risks, but their capacities may differ. That's why increasing the capacity of individuals,
families, and societies are the key. Therefore, disaster preparedness, prevention, and mitigation must be given priority (Basas, 2016).

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS ABOUT CHOICES

Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of
disasters. Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and
improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction (Serapio, 2016).

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION IS EVERYONE'S BUSINESS

Disaster risk reduction includes disciplines like disaster management, disaster mitigation and disaster preparedness, but DRR is also part of
sustainable development. In order for development activities to be sustainable they must also reduce disaster risk. On the other hand, unsound
development policies will increase disaster risk - and disaster losses. Thus, DRR involves every part of society, every part of government, and every
part of the professional and private sector (Serapio, 2016).

THE IMPORTANCE OF DRR ON ONE'S LIFE FOCUS ON COMMUNITIES

AND VULNERABILITY

One of the underlying principles of DRR is to consider disasters as a result of a community's vulnerability. Vulnerability has been defined as "a set of
conditions and processes resulting from physical, social, economic, and environmental factors, which increase the susceptibility of a community to
the impact of disasters."

Taken from this standpoint and incorporating the resources within the community, risk can be defined as follows:

By analyzing vulnerabilities and capacities, a fuller picture emerges of how to reduce disaster risks. The DRR approach considers a comprehensive
range of vulnerability factors and aims to devise strategies that safeguard life and development before, during, and after a disaster. This approach is
useful to the climate change community because, whereas the climate change debate and work has largely taken place at the international and
national levels and focused on impacts/hazards, disaster managers have long experience working at the local level on the vulnerabilities that turn
an impact into a disaster. Although a national disaster reduction strategy should be in place, DRR activities are often focused on specific locations,
addressing the particular vulnerabilities and capacities of the community, its culture and processes. The rationale behind any action and how it is
implemented should be firmly rooted in the beneficial impacts that can be realized for the community, and for the most part, these benefits should
be measurable (Serapio, 2016).

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