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1Disaster Readiness and

Risk Reduction
3rd Quarter – Module 1:
Definition of Disaster and
Disaster Risk

Supplementary Learning
Materials (SleM)

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 HOW TO USE THE SLeM?
Before you start answering the SLeM, I want you to set aside other
tasks that will disturb you while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple
instructions below to successfully enjoy the objectives of this kit. Have fun!

1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every

page of this SLeM.
2. Write on your notebook or any writing pad the concepts about the
lessons. Writing enhances learning — that is important to develop
and keep in mind.
3. Perform all the provided activities in the SLeM.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers.
5. Analyze conceptually the post test and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!
Parts of SLeM
1. Expectations – These are what you will be able to know after
completing the lessons in the SLeM.
2. Pre-Test – This will measure your prior knowledge and the concepts
to be mastered throughout the lesson.
3. Looking Back – This section will measure what learnings and skills
that you understand from the previous lesson.
4. Brief Introduction – This section will give you an overview of the
lesson.
5. Activities – These are activities designed to develop critical thinking
and other competencies. This can be done with or without a partner
depending on the nature of the activity.
6. Remember – This section summarizes the concepts and applications
of the lessons.
7. Checking your Understanding – It will verify how you learned from
the lessons.
8. Post-Test – This will measure how much you have learned from the
entire SLeM.

Writer: LEARNI J. ESCOTE

Content Editor: SANDRA CARETATIVO
Language Editor: PRINCESS A. CAYETANO
Format Editor: VIRNA E. GARCIA
SQAT Chairman: NOEL S. FAVILA, Principal

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Lesson 1- Definition of Disaster and Disaster Risks

EXPECTATIONS

At the end of this lesson, 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.

PRETEST

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

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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

BRIEF INTRODUCTION

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

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➢ 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.

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.

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 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
• Earthquakes8
• 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

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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

ACTIVITY

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

REMEMBER
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.
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 from 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.

CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Effects of Natural Disasters on Human Life

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.

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.
➢ Food Scarcity

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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.

POST-TEST

Read each item carefully and write the letter of the most appropriate
answer.
1. Which is not a volcanic hazard?
a. carbon dioxide
b. lapilli
c. turbulent ash cloud d. mudflow
2. 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
3. Which is possible cause of earthquake?
a. Tsunami
b. Volcanic Eruption
c. Landslide
d. Typhoon
4. Which is not an example of capacity?

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a. adequate income
c. local knowledge
b. savings
d. isolation
5. Which is not a geological hazard?
a. Earthquake
b. Tsunami
c. Tephra Fall
d. Tornado

REFERENCES

Quebral, Villamor S, 2016. Disaster Readiness & Risk Reduction. Quezon

City, Metro Manila, Lorimar Publishing Inc.

ANSWER KEY

Lesson1 Lesson1Activity Lesson1

Post-Test 1. Disaster Pre-Test
1.B 1. A
2. Hazard
2.C 2. B
3.D 3. Hazard 3. A
4.D 4. D
5.D 4. Disaster 5. D

5. Disaster

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