DISASTER READINESS and

RISK REDUCTION
( FIRST QUARTER )
GRADE 11

……………………………………..

JERMER U. TABONES

1
 Quarter 1 – Module 2:
Exposure and Vulnerability

What I Need to Know

Many climate change adaptation efforts aim to address the implications

of potential changes in the frequency, intensity, and duration of weather and climate
events that affect the risk of extreme impacts on human society. That risk is
determined not only by the climate and weather events (the hazards) but also by
exposure and vulnerability to these hazards. Therefore, effective adaptation and
disaster risk management strategies and practices also depend on a rigorous
understanding of the dimensions of exposure and vulnerability, as well as proper
assessment of changes in those dimensions.
This module is about the discussion on areas and locations exposed to
hazards, disaster from different perspective, and what does vulnerability means. It
consists of the following lessons:
 Lesson 1 – Areas and Locations Exposed to Hazards
 Lesson 2 – Disaster from Different Perspectives
 Lesson 3 – What is vulnerability?

Learning Objectives
After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify the different areas/locations exposed to hazards that

may lead to disaster
2. Analyze disaster from different perspectives (physical,
psychological, socio-cultural, economic, political, and
biological).
3. Explain the meaning of vulnerability.

What
I Know
Identify the following hazards as to natural or man-made. Write N for natural
and M for Man-made hazard.

1. Hailstorm
2. Earthquake
3. Oil Spill
4. Terrorism
5. Chemical Waste
6. Sinkhole
7. Storm Surge
8. Factory Waste
2
9. Tsunami
10. Pollution

3
Lesson Areas and Locations Exposed to
1 Hazards

What’s In
Natural disasters affect human life in different dimensions. Disasters
can cause displacement of population, health risks, food scarcity, and emotional
aftershocks.

What’s New
List 10 hazards in your house, your answers should be specific to certain
locations in the classroom (e.g. the shelf at the corner near the door can fall on
someone).

W
hat is it

 Exposed to Natural Hazards

Areas/Locations Exposed to:
Coastal Areas Strom surge, tsunami or tidal waves
Reclaimed Areas Flooding, sink hole
Near fault lines Earthquake
On foot of denuded mountains Mudslide/Landslide
Near volcanoes (danger zones) Volcanic Eruption-pyroclastic materials,
lahar flow, lava flow and ash fall
River Banks and esteros Flooding, flash floods
Open fields Thunderstorm, hailstorm, blizzard

 Exposed to Man-made Hazard

Areas/Locations Expose to:
Near Oil Depots Oil spill, pollution
Near Mining Projects Toxic waste-heavy metal, lead, mercury,
nitric acid, etc.
Near Chemical Plants Chemical fumes, chemical waste
Near Nuclear Plants Nuclear waste, possible technical failure,
leaks, or worse accidental explosion
Near Factories Factory waste, pollution
Unsafe building structures Fire
Public Places in Mega Cities Terrorism

4
What’s More
Based on you understanding of the discussion above, identify some
barangays/towns/cities in the Philippines that are exposed to hazard. Using a Table,
indicate what potential hazards these areas/locations are exposed to.

What I Have Learned

Make the statement complete by writing what have you learned from the
lesson.
I have learned that .

What I Can Do
Based on your understanding of the discussion above, identify some
barangay/towns/cities in the Philippines that are exposed to hazard. Using a table,
indicate what potential hazards these areas/locations are exposed to.

Lesson Disaster from Different Perspectives

2

What’s In
In the previous lesson, we have discussed the areas/locations in the
Philippines that are exposed to different hazards. Communities in these areas
definitely need knowledge and awareness on disaster risk reduction and
management.

What’s New
Arrange the following letters to make it a one word, definitions of the word
are on the right side.
1. CEPITEVRESP -the capacity to view things in
their true relations or relative
importance.

2. ITILPOLAC - interested in or active in politics

3. ONCEOCIM - relating to economics or the

5
Economy

4. LACIGOLOHCYSP - the study of the mind

5. OICOS – LUCLARUT - common traditions, habits,

patterns and beliefs present in a
population group.

Wh
at is it
A disaster is a result of a vast ecological breakdown in the relation between
human; a serious or sudden event on such a scale that the stricken community
needs extraordinary efforts to cope with it, often with outside help or international aid.
Disaster is analyzed from different perspective as follows:

PHYSICAL PERSPECTIVE
From this view disasters is defined as a phenomenon that can cause damage
to the physical elements such as buildings, infrastructures, including people and their
properties, e.g. houses and environmental sources of living. Physical effects are the
most visible and quantifiable effects of a disaster. In considered in data recording.
Assessment of disaster is focused on the following questions:
How many families are affected? (displacement, injury, death)
How many houses are damaged or washed out? (in case of super typhoons)
How many buildings collapsed or are damaged? (in case of an earthquake)
How many roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructures are damaged? (in
case of floods, lahar flows and earthquakes)
What is the extent of damage in agricultural industry? (crop, losses, damaged
fish cages, wash out rice fields, etc.)

PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Psychological research has shown that disasters can cause serious mental
health consequences for victims. These consequences take the form of Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a variety of other disorders and symptoms
which have been less investigated. The more stress, defined in a variety of ways,
within the disaster, the more likely there are to be emotional consequences.
In psychological context a disaster is regarded as an occurrence involving an
unexpected or uncontrollable event rather than a long-term experience. In other
word, a disaster is something that could happen within a hazard rather than the

6
hazard itself. Hence, one very important component of the recovery phase, aside
from relief services is debriefing of psychological support system.
Other psychological effects of a disaster are the following:
 Emotional effects: Shock, terror, irritability, blame, anger, guilt, grief or
sadness, numbing, helplessness, loss of pleasure derived from familiar
activities, difficulty feeling happy, difficulty feeling loved.
 Cognitive effects: impaired concentration, impaired decision-making
ability, memory impairment, disbelief, confusion, nightmares, decreased
self-esteem, decreased self-efficacy, self-blame, intrusive thoughts,
memories, dissociation, (e.g.,tunnel vision, dreamlike or ‘spacey’ felling).
 Physical effects: fatigue, exhaustion, insomnia, cardiovascular strain,
startle response, hyper arousal, increased physical pain, reduced immune
response, headaches, gastrointestinal upset, decreased appetite,
decreased libido, vulnerability to illness.
 Interpersonal effects: Increased relational conflict, social withdrawal,
reduced relational intimacy, alienation, impaired work performance,
decreased satisfaction, distract, externalization of blame, externalization of
vulnerability, feeling abandoned.

SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
What the people living at risk know and do about natural hazards and disaster
risks is mediated by a range of factors including social conditions (such as age,
gender, wealth, ethnicity) and cultural settings (language, beliefs, traditions,
customs). In most places people are also more or less exposed by information and
ideas coming from the “outside”—the world outside their own cultural setting. At the
same time, the field of natural hazards and disasters has developed its own debates,
framework, and notions such as vulnerability, resilience, and ‘risk’. But communities
may have different priorities and notions of natural hazards and disaster risk.
People’s socio-cultural background may affect their response to disasters at the
different stages of disaster management.
Hence, from the socio-cultural point of view, a disaster is analyzed based on
how people respond having as parameter their social conditions and cultural
settings. These two factors are important determinants of the degree of risk,
resilience and vulnerability of those affected. That is why some ethnic groups can
easily cope with disasters compared to other groups.

ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE
From an economic perspective, a natural disaster can be defined as a natural
event that causes a perturbation to the functioning of the economic system, with a
significant negative impact on assets, production factors, output, employment, and

7
consumption. One salient component of assessing the impact of disaster impact
from this view is defining direct economic cost and indirect losses.

POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE
From this view, natural disasters are commonly thought to be less politically
contentious than armed conflicts. Yet, a closer look reveals that politics are deeply
wedded to both the impact of a natural disaster and the subsequent delivery f
humanitarian assistance. Political considerations before, during, and after a natural
disaster can determine who is most at risk, who can intervene, what actions will be
taken, and who will benefit from those actions. Some case studies demonstrate that
economic, social, and political factors can significantly amplify the devastating impact
of natural disaster.
Governmentality or deliverance of government services to constituents can be
plus or minus factor in disaster risk reduction and management. Government
interventions should be present in the following phases of Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management: 1) Prevention, 2) Mitigation, 3) Preparedness, and 4) Recovery.
Failure to do so adversely affects the capacity and opportunities of those affected to
cope with and recover from the impacts of disaster.

ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE
Disasters are not random an do not occur by accident. They are the
convergence of hazards and vulnerable conditions. Disasters not only reveal
underlying social, economic, political, and environment problems, but unfortunately
contribute to worsening them. Such events pose serious challenges to development,
as they erode hard-earned gains in terms of political, social and educational
progress, as well as infrastructure and technological development. The Millennium
Declaration recognizes the risk to development stemming from disasters and calls on
the global community to “intensify our collective efforts to reduce the number and
effects of natural hazards and man-made disasters”. Several studies have recently
highlighted the fact that investments in development are in jeopardy unless
precautionary action is taken toward reducing disaster risk. Yet few development
organizations adopt a precautionary approach in the design and management of
projects and fewer still recognize the role of environmental management in reducing
disaster risk.

What’s More
Give one example of each disaster from the different perspective.

1. Physical Perspective
2. Psychological Perspective
3. Socio-Cultural Perspective

8
 4. Economic Perspective
5. Political Perspective
6. Environmental Perspective

Wh
at I Have Learned
Direction: Read the newspaper article. Based on the details of the articles,
analyze its impacts from the different perspective enumerated below.

a. Physical Perspective
b. Psychological Perspective
c. Socio-Cultural Perspective
d. Economic Perspective
e. Political Perspective
f. Environmental Perspective

Surprise

Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said many people were caught by surprise
when water rose one meter (three feet) high in less than an hour, forcing people onto
roofs. “Most of them were already sleeping when floodwaters entered their homes.
This the worst flooding our city has experienced in years. “The national disaster
agency said it could not estimate crop and property damage because emergency
workers, including soldiers and police officers, were evacuating families and
recovering casualties. Benito Ramos, head of the NDRRMC told reporters Mindanao
residents were warned about the dangers posed by the storm days earlier but
elected not to move to safe areas. He said Mindanao was rarely visited by storms,
even as 20 major storms strike the Philippines annually, with the most hitting Luzon,
the largest and most populous island in the Southeast Asian archipelago. “We
expect huge damage, especially on agriculture,” Ramos said. Two of the three rivers
that flow into the port of Iligan had overflowed, he added, and a popular radio
commentator was among those killed. Other affected areas on Mindanao included
Bukidnon province, where 47 people died, while nine other people were killed
elsewhere on the island, Pang of the Red Cross said.

What I Can Do
Read an account of Super Typhoon Yolanda that struck Samar and Leyte in
2013. Analyze its impacts from the different perspectives enumerated below:
a. Physical perspective d. Economic Perspective
b. Psychological Perspective e. Political Perspective
c. Socio-Cultural Perspective f. Environmental Perspective

9
Lesson
3 What is Vulnerability?

What’s In
The severity of the impacts of disasters and other extreme weather and
climate events depends strongly on the level of vulnerability and exposure to these
events.

What’s New

If we are going to shake the table, which object would be affected the most by
shaking?
Why do you think it would be affected the most?

What is it
Vulnerability is defined as “the characteristics and circumstances of a
community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a
hazard”. As indicated by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR), “there are many aspects of vulnerability arising from various physical,
social, economic, and environmental factors. Examples may include 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”.

Reasons Why Certain Sectors of Society are More Vulnerable to Disaster

than Others
Vulnerability can be seen as the result of a process in which various different
things cause a population to be more vulnerable. This can be split into demographic
and socio-economic. They can also be discussed through the level of community
10
11
preparedness and the ability of a community to manage the after effects of a hazard
event.
1. Demographic Factors
Population Density – the more dense the population, the more efficient
a response should be, considering the number of people that might be affected by a
disaster.
Age of Population – very old and very young populations are less
mobile and able to respond to hazard events well. This makes them more vulnerable
compared to others, and this requires more attention from the government and other
support agencies especially during emergency evacuation or relocation.
Distribution of population – regardless of density, populations may be
distributed differently within hazard area, e.g. elderly people on lower floors of
apartment buildings, or concentrations of highly vulnerable people in poorer areas of
a city.
2. Socio-economic factors
Wealth – low income populations are less likely to be well prepared.
Part of the preparation is having a Survival Kit that includes tools to be used,
emergency food stock and water that could last for at least 3 to 5 days. Poor families
will find a hard time to do such preparation due to lack of money to spend.
Education – Education programs such as the Metro Manila
Development Authority’s (MMDA) shake drill can instruct populations on how to deal
with hazard events, like the “Big One”- the anticipated 7.8 magnitude earthquake that
may strike Metro Manila anytime
Nature of Society – In highly centralized government structures,
efficient emergency response may be the result of careful planning and training of
personnel. However, it can also lead to bureaucracy and a lack of autonomous
decision making, which slows down distribution of relief goods and emergency
response efforts in case of extreme emergency.
Understanding of the area - Recent immigrants are likely to struggle to
cope with hazard effects compared to established popuplation. Understanding the
area is salient factor to be considered in Disaster Preparedness Planning, and this
will give greater advantage to the established or original settlers in a particular area
affected by disaster.
3. Community Preparedness-
Building Codes – Rigoruos and applied building codes protect most
buildings from collapse during earthquakes. This should be seriously considered by
the government in the issuance of building permitsand licenses for land
development.
Scientific monitoring and early warning systems – Establised
monitoring system can prepare people for the onslaught of any kind of disaster

12
 Coomunication works – Countries with good quality widespread
communication networks allow messages to be quickly shared. Communication
plays a very important and crucial role in times of disaster. Communication Plan is a
very salient component of Emergency Planning that should not be left out.
Emergency Planning – Preparation is the key element of pervention.
Preparation for a disaster is embodied in an Emergency Plan. Where monitoring and
communication are in place, the emergency planning islikely to prepare a person or
a group (family) for such events and take action based on data, rather tha prediction.
4. Dealing with the after effects
Insurance cover – Another important aspect of preparation is how to
deal with the after effects of a disaster. Parts of their preparation, individuals
purchase insurance policies to mitigate their losses, thus preparing them better for
similar future events.
Emergency Personnel – These are trained for community
preparedness. The availability of such personnel will vary depending on the time of
day and location of the hazard event.
Aid Request – Outside help in the form of humanitarian aid is
necessary during disaster. However, it should be fast and efficient. Inefficiency and
mismangement of aids, especially foreign aids, will possibly result to further deaths
and loss of property. Foreign aids in the form of monetary andmaterial aid poured in
immediately after the onsluaght of Typhoon Yolanda.

What’s More
Explain what vulnerability means.

What I Have Learned

Answer the following questions:
1. What are the conditions that make you vulnerable?
2.Does vulnerability contributes to the adverse impacts of hazards to
the community?
3. If yes, why do you think so?

What I Can Do
Accomplish the following Table below. Identify the different elements that are
exposed to a particular hazard, and briefly state their vulnerabilities.
Elements Exposed to Hazard Vulnerability
Hazard

13
14
Assessment
Multiple Choice Test: Choose the correct answer of your choice.
For numbers 1-5, identify what areas or locations are the following
hazards exposed to:
1. Earthquake
a. coastal areas b. reclaimed areas
c. near fault line d. near volcanoes (danger zone)
2. Oil Spill
a. Near mining projects b. Near oil depots
c. near chemical plants d. near nuclear plants
3. Flash Floods
a. open fields b. river banks and estero
c. near volcanoes (danger zone) d. Near factories
4. Storm Surge
a. coastal areas b. reclaimed areas
c. near fault line d. near volcanoes (danger zone)
5. Thunderstorm
a. open fields b. river banks and estero
c. near volcanoes (danger zone) d. Near factories
6. It is defined as a phenomenon that can cause damage to physical
elements such as buildings, infrastructures, including people and
their properties.
a. physical perspective b. psychological perspective
c. Socio-cultural perspective d. Economic perspective
7. One salient component of assessing the impact of disaster impact from this
view is defining direct economic cost and indirect losses.
a. physical perspective b. psychological perspective
c. Socio-cultural perspective d. Economic perspective

15
8.A disaster is analyzed based on how people respond having as parameter
their social conditions and cultural settings.
a. physical perspective b. psychological perspective
c. Socio-cultural perspective d. Economic perspective
9.A natural disasters are commonly thought to be less politically contentious
than armed conflicts. Politics are deeply wedded to both the impact of a
natural disaster and the subsequent delivery of humanitarian assistance.
a. Psychological Perspective b. Socio-cultural perspective
c. Political Perspective d. Physical perspective
10. Research has shown that disasters can cause serious mental health
consequences for victims. These consequences take the form of Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a variety of other disorders
and symptoms which have been less investigated.
a. physical perspective b. psychological perspective
c. Socio-cultural perspective d. Economic perspective

Add
Additional Activities
Conduct a simple research about Guadalupe Bridge in Edsa, Makati. Analyze
and explain why it is more vulnerable to earthquake as compared to other bridges in
Metro Manila.

16