PAMANTASAN NG LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA

(University of the City of Manila)

General Luna St., cor. Muralla St.
Intramuros, Manila, Philippines
OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINING PROGRAM
Civic Welfare Training Service
Tel. 8643 – 2563
nstp@plm.edu.ph

NSTP – CWTS Output 3

I. Title: Basic Community Risk Assessment

II. Description

Definitions of “risk” can be found in a variety of publications, reports and other sources. One definition is: human
behavior, systems malfunctions, or an event that results in an ignition or other detrimental incident leading to a
negative impact to life, property and/or natural resources. Another simple definition is: the potential or likelihood of
an emergency to occur. A “risk assessment” simply asks, “How risky is the situation?” Risks that affect a community
on a regular basis can be human‐created or naturally occurring. Examples include preventable injuries, fires and
frequently occurring forms of severe weather. Examples of more uncommon risks that may occur every 5–20 years,
might include domestic terrorism, hurricanes, earthquakes, and major hazardous materials releases. Risk assessment
is basically the identification of potential and likely risks within a particular community, and the process of prioritizing
those risks. It is the critical initial step in emergency preparedness, which enables organizations to eventually mitigate
(if possible), plan, prepare and deploy appropriate resources to attain a desired outcome.

Republic Act 10121, PDRRM Act of 2010, defines Risk Assessment as a methodology to determine the nature
and extent of risk by analyzing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that together
could potentially harm exposed people, property, services, livelihood, and the environment on which they depend.
Risk assessments with associated risk mapping include: a review of the technical characteristics of hazards such as
their location, intensity, frequency, and probability; the analysis of exposure and vulnerability including the physical,
social, health, economic and environmental dimensions; and the evaluation of the effectiveness of prevailing and
alternative coping capacities in respect to likely risk scenarios.

In our previous discussion, we have learned that Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
(CBDRRM) is a process of disaster risk reduction and management in which at risk communities are actively engaged
in the identification, analysis, treatment, monitoring and evaluation of disaster risks in order to reduce their
vulnerabilities and enhance their capacities, and where the people are at the heart of decision-making and
implementation of disaster risk reduction and management activities.

CRA (Community Risk Assessment) is a participatory process for assessing hazards, vulnerabilities, risks, ability
to cope, preparing coping strategies and finally preparing a risk reduction options implementation plan by the local
community. CRA uses scientific information and predictions and participatory discourses to identify, analyze and
evaluate risk environment of a particular community, reach consensus amongst the community on actions that are
needed to manage the risk environment. The method recognizes that the vulnerability, loss, reduction or mitigation
strategy and coping mechanism vary from community to community and group to group (women, person with
disability, landless, farmers‐fisher folks, etc) of a same community. So, it ensures representation of professional,
community and other groups and that their points of views are reflected.

People differ in how they understand and perceive things because they come from different contexts and
orientations. Age, socio-economic status, occupation, culture, and gender, account for their differences in perception.
Hence, even disaster risks are understood and perceived differently. This difference in risk perception is also due to
our differing levels and manners of exposure to hazards and threats, level of knowledge and education.
III. Steps in Community Risk Assessment

1. Risk Identification - Step 1 in the risk assessment process is to identify the various risks to your
community and/or service area. This is accomplished by gathering data—in other words, acquiring
information about what is occurring within your community. The data will be used to identify both current
risks and trends based on historical information. Typically, there will be a large number of resources from
which to acquire the data necessary to identify current and potential risks.
A. Acquire Data that Identifies Risks – There are numerous of data elements that should be considered
for acquisition, these might include the following:
- Incident Types
- Incident dates and times
- Incident locations
- Number of affected individual/families
- Cause of Incident
- Mortality Rate (if applicable)
- Other Data Elements that can be obtained

B. Develop a Community Profile - The risk assessment should also include obtaining information on
the people who are impacted by, or a part of, the problem. Therefore, it will be necessary to
acquire data to develop a community demographic profile. Risk is often influenced by economic
and social issues. Therefore, the community risk‐reduction process must address socioeconomic
issues. The demographic composition of a community typically includes the statistical data of its
population. This may include:
- Gender
- Racial and ethnic background
- Age
- Marital status
- People with Disabilities
- Family size
- Education
- Income
- Employment and Location
- Housing Type

C. Community Hazards Identification – Hazard is defined as a dangerous phenomenon, substance,

human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property
damage, loss of livelihood and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
Human-Induced Hazards include Fire, Arm Conflict, Vehicular Accidents, and the like. But Natural
Hazard identification in a community can be done using science-based tools and technology such
as:
- Community/Barangay Hazard Maps
- Hydrological Hazard Maps
- Earthquake Hazard Maps
- Volcanic Eruption Hazard Maps
- Hazard Hunter Ph
- Geo Mapper Ph
- Geo Risk Ph

D. Population at Greater Risk and Vulnerable Sector – you may consider the following attributes on
identification the population at greater risk and the vulnerable sector.
 - Socio-economic factors
- Location and environmental factors
- Level of Education/Awareness
- Physical Capacities (Senior Citizens, Children, Pregnant Women, and PWDs)

E. Evaluating Capacity and Capabilities - a combination of all strengths and resources available within
a community, society or organization that can reduce the level of risk, or effects of a disaster.
Capacity may include infrastructure and physical means, institutions, societal coping abilities, as
well as human knowledge, skills and collective attributes such as social relationships, leadership
and management. Capacity may also be described as capability. You can describe the level of
education and awareness of the members of the community, by the frequency and quality of DRRM
training they receive. It is also important to enumerate DRRM related infrastructure and equipment
to properly evaluate the community’s capability.

2. Risk Statement and Prioritization – Once you have gathered and analyzed your data, it will be
necessary to evaluate, quantify, and determine the consequences; then prioritize the risks.

A. Describe Risk Attributes - At this point it will be important to describe the various attributes associated
with the risks that have been identified. There are various tools and methods that can be utilized in
this process. Table 1 is one component of series of tools that can be used for prioritizing and “scoring”
risk. Use this to describe the likelihood of specific risks occurring:

B. Level of Vulnerability - the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that
make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. Vulnerability may arise from various physical,
social, economic, and environmental factors such as poor design and construction of buildings,
inadequate protection of assets, lack of public information and awareness, limited official recognition
of risks and preparedness measures, and disregard for wise environmental management. A
community’s ability to resist the impacts and negative effects of various hazards must be determined.
 Make sure to consider community capabilities and capacity in grading vulnerability. You can use Table
2 as a qualitative measure scale to describe the consequences or impact of a particular event:

C. Risk Prioritization – using the results from the previous two tools (Tables 1 and 2), a level of risk can
be assigned using the matrix in Table 3:
 By combining these three tools and assigning a score to each of your risks, you can begin to prioritize those
that will need the most attention for developing strategies and tactics for mitigation, giving emphasis to the
population at greater risk and the vulnerable sector.

3. Consolidation and Interpretation

After you have collected and quantified your data, and prioritized the various risks, it will be necessary to
distill it all into a legible and decipherable document. Keep in mind that the document may be reviewed by
individuals, community partners, elected officials and others without technical expertise or backgrounds in
the fire service and risk assessment. Most spreadsheet or database software applications can generate many
different types of bar graphs, pie charts and line graphs. Word processing software typically enables the
creation of simple or sophisticated tables that can be incorporated into your document.

IV. Guidelines

1. NSTP-CWTS Output Number 3 is a GROUP ACTIVITY (MAXIMUM OF 6 MEMBERS PER GROUP).

2. Students are expected to be creative yet formal in the presentation of their CRAs.
3. Site the source/s of the obtained data. (Interview, Internet, Public Document, etc.)
4. A basic guide is provided and can be used as a template. Students are expected to include all resources
used in completing the activity. Always put proper labels in all tables and pictures.
5. For Step 2 – A, rate all Hazards that you have identified from Step 1 – C. Include events enumerated in
Step 1 – A, if it is not identified in Step 1 – C.
6. For Step 2 – B, provide a brief explanation why you have given such rating. Include in your justification
elements that are provided in Steps 1 – A, 1 – B, and 1 – E.
7. For Step 2 – B and Step 2 – C, rate/score Vulnerability and Risk Level for each Hazard indicated in Step
2 – A across the various groups enumerated in Step 1 – D and the Community as a whole.
8. You can present your CRA Evaluation in Matrix, Tabular, or Enumerated Form.
9. At the last part of your CRA, give a comprehensive Conclusion for the activity you have done.
10. Observe honesty and display integrity in doing class projects, PLAGIARISM is strictly prohibited.