DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION

A typhoon victim holds a placard asking for food while standing amongst the ruins of TOPIC: DISASTER AND DISASTER RISK
houses destroyed by super typhoon Haiyan in Tanauan, Leyte in Central
Philippines, November 14, 2013.
Content Standard Performance Standard
1. Emotional Aftershocks The learner will be able to The learner should be able to
understand the concept of disaster, relate the concept of disaster
Natural disasters can be particularly traumatic for young children.
risk, nature and effect. with daily life.
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 from PTSD can be prone to lasting TIME FRAME: 1 week
psychological damage and emotional distress.
LEARNING TARGETS:

 Explain the meaning of disaster

ACTIVITY 1: ACTION AND RESEARCH
 Differentiate the risk factors underlying disasters
Conduct a research or present a paper of some events in the Philippine  Describe the effects of disasters on one’s life
context that turned to a disaster. Classify such events whether they are
 Stress how and when an event becomes a disaster
natural or human – made.
 Explain the risk underlying disaster

ACTIVITY 2: ASSESSMENT TASK

1. Explain the meaning of disaster.
2. Differentiate the risk factors underlying disaster.
3. Describe the effects of disaster on human’s life.
ACTIVITY 3: ESSAY
How and when an event becomes a disaster? Cite an example.
PRAYER:
In the name of the father, the son, the holy spirit, Amen.
Lord, true source and giver of light and wisdom.
Grant me discernment, understanding and wisdom in
learning. Shine also in my mind, The light of the
grace of the Holy Spirit. Give me a keen sense of understanding a
retentive memory, a capacity to grasp things correctly,
and skills to express myself with thoroughness and clarity. Be
with me at the start of my work. Guide it progress
and bring it to completion. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Grade 12 Adviser Grade 12 Adviser
DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION

INTRODUCTION 2. Health Risk

Every year, millions of people around the world are affected by either Aside from obvious immediate danger that natural disasters
human-caused or natural disasters. Disasters take different forms, like volcanic present, the secondary effects can be just as damaging. Severe flooding
eruptions, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, or fires. In disaster, people can result in stagnant water that allows breeding of waterborne bacteria and
face the danger od death or physical injury. They may also lose their home, malaria carrying mosquitoes.
possessions and community where they live in. Disaster can cause a full range of
Dengue fever is another serious health problem caused by
mental and physical reactions. Those affected may also react to problems that
mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). Without emergency relief from international
occur after the event, as well as to triggers or reminders of the trauma.
aid organizations and others, death tolls can rise even after the immediate
DEFINITION OD DISASTER AND DISASTER RISK danger has passed.
Disaster is defined as “a sudden, calamitous event, bringing great damage, 3. Food Scarcity
loss, destruction and devastation of life and property”. Its origin can be natural, such
After natural disasters, food often become scarce. Thousands of
as earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes, or of human origin, such as explosions,
people around the world go hungry as a result of destroyed crops and loss
nuclear accidents and terrorist acts.
of agricultural supplies, whether it happens suddenly in a storm or gradually
From socio-cultural perspective, disaster is defined as “a serious disruption in a drought. As a result, food prices rise, reducing families purchasing
of the functioning society, causing widespread human, material or environmental power and increasing the risk of severe malnutrition.
losses, which exceed the ability of the affected people tocope, using their human
The impacts of hunger following an earthquake, typhoon or
resources”.
hurricane can be tremendous, causing lifelong damage to children’s
Relative to the disaster, a salient factor that needs to be addressed properly development. One of the serious “aftershocks” of Super Typhoon Yolanda
is disaster risk. Disaster risk is defined as “the probability that a community’s was there’s no food to eat immediately after the storm surge. This resulted
structure or geographic are is to be damaged or disrupted by the impact of a into looting some of the stores and supermarkets in Tacloban City.
particular hazard, on account of its nature, construction and proximity to a
hazardous area”. In other words, disaster risk signifies the possibility of adverse
effects in the future. It is derived from the interaction of social and environmental
processes, from the combination of physical hazards and the vulnerability of
exposed elements.

NATURE OF DISASTERS
Disaster are of two types – “natural” and “human-made”. Based on the
devastation, these are further classified into major or minor natural disasters and
major or minor man-made disasters.

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DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION

For example, natural disasters are generally thought to be less serious than human-
caused. In developing countries, however, natural disasters have more severe
effects than do human-caused disasters in developed countries.
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 maybe due to stress and the need for
members of the support network to get on their own lives. Sometimes the responses
from others disaster victims rely on for support are negative.
For example, someone may play down their problems, needs, or pain, or
expect them to recover move quickly than is realistic. This is strongly linked to long-
term distress in trauma survivors.
EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON HUMAN LIFE
NATURAL DISASTER- these originate from the different “forces” of nature
(geological, meteorological, hydrometeorological and biological). Natural
disaster 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 environmental. 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.
TYPE OF DISASTERS
Disasters can take many different forms and the duration can range from an
hour to days or weeks of ongoing destruction. Below is a list of the various types of
disasters, both natural and human-made or technological in nature that can impact
a community.

The following are the common effects of disaster identified by some studies NATURAL TYPE OF DISASTER
on disaster risk and management:
 Agricultural diseases and pests
4. Displaced Populations  Storm surge
 Drought and water shortage – El Niño
One of the most immediate effects of natural disasters is population
displacement. When countries are ravaged by earthquakes or other  Earthquakes
powerful forces of nature like floods and super typhoons, many people have  Hurricanes and tropical storms
to abandon their homes and seek shelter on other regions.  Landslide and debris flow
 Thunderstorms and lightning
A large influx of refugees can disrupt accessibility of health care  Tornadoes
and education, as well as food supplies and clean water. When Mt.
 Tsunamis
Pinatubo erupted in 1991, thousands of families in Zambales and
 Wildfires
Pampanga were displaced. Their communities were ravaged by lahar flow
 Sinkholes
that turned these communities into “wilderness”. Several resettlement areas
were established to accommodate those who were displaced. These  Emergency diseases (pandemic influenza)
resettlement areas which started as tent cities for those affected by a  Extreme heat
volcanic eruption became permanent communities.  Floods and flash floods
 La Niña
HUMAN-MADE AND TECHNOLOGICAL TYPES OF DISASTERS

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DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION DISASTER READINESS & RISK REDUCTION
 Hazardous materials
 Power service disruption and blackout
 Radiological emergencies
 Chemical threat and biological weapons
 Cyber attacks
 Explosion
 Civil unrest
RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
A number of factors make it more likely that those affected will have more
severe or longer – lasting stress reactions after disasters.
1. Severity of exposure
The amount of exposure to the disaster is highly related to risk of
future mental problems. At highest 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. Injury and life threat are the factors that lead
most often to mental health problem.
Studies have looked at severe natural disasters, such as the 1990
earthquake in Baguio, Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, mudslide in Ormoc
City, and the devastating Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban. The findings
show that at least half of the survivors suffer from distress or mental health
problems that need clinical care.
2. Gender and Family
Almost always, women or girls suffer more negative effects than do
men or boys. Disaster recovery is more stressful when children are present
in the home. Women with spouses also experience more distress during
recovery. Having a family member in the home is extremely distresses is
related o 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.
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Grade 12 Adviser
3. Age
Adults who are in the age range of 40-60 are likely to be more
distresses 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.
High stress in the parents is related to worse recovery in the
children.
OTHER FACTORSS SPECIFIC TO THE SURVIVOR
Several factors related to a survivor’s background and resources are
important to recovery from disaster. Recovery is worst if survivors:
 We’re not functioning well before the disaster
 Have had no experience dealing with disasters
 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 close)
 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
There is a strong body of evidence that these risk factors can be made
worse if the disaster occurs in a developing country. Disasters in developing
countries like Philippines, have more c=severe mental health impact than do
disasters in developed countries. This is true even with less serious disasters.
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Grade 12 Adviser