Module No. and Title Module No.

1
INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Lesson No. and Title Lesson 1: Disaster Management

Upon the completion of this module, the students are expected to:
Module Learning 1. Overview the concept of disasters and hazards.
Outcomes 2. To understand the different phases of disaster management cycle.
3. To recognize the type of disaster and resulting public health emergencies.

Time Frame 6 Hours (Week 1 – Day 1)

Great day students! Welcome to this module on the introduction to disaster

Introduction management. This module is basically a review and overview of the concepts that
you have in relation to disasters and hazards and how they are being managed. Are
you all set? If so, learn and read on! 

CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Activity

Recap.
Analysis
Illustrate the DRRM Cycle and briefly explain each area. (15 pts.)

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 Let’s start!
Abstraction
BASIC CONCEPTS IN DISASTER:

 Hazard – any unusual event that has a potential to threaten people’s lives,
their property and livelihoods

Natural Hazards:
- typhoons
- earthquakes
- volcanic eruptions

Human-induced Hazards:
- environmental pollution
- deforestation
- civil conflicts
- toxic gases and chemicals

In recent years, the distinction between natural and human-made hazards is

becoming harder to distinguish. For example, the destruction of mangrove forests
may worsen the damage caused by typhoons to the coastal areas. While illegal
logging activities can make the effects of flooding worse and even cause landslides.

However, a hazard by itself is not necessarily a disaster. A hazard only becomes a

disaster when it adversely affects people and causes damage to property and/or
peoples’ livelihoods.

 Vulnerability – the extent or degree to which an individual, community,

structure, service, or geographic area is likely to be damaged or disrupted
by the impact of a particular hazard.
 Vulnerable conditions are not the same for everyone, example:
A family living on the riverbanks, for example, is vulnerable to a
specific hazard (in this case floods) and a family whose house is
located on higher ground that cannot be reached by floodwaters
is not.

Four (4) Types of Vulnerability:

 Physical Vulnerability – a family living on the riverbank

 Social Vulnerability – lack of leadership and/or no cooperation between
residents such that they are unable to help each other in times of disasters
 Attitudinal or Motivational Vulnerability – can occur for people who believe
that there is nothing that can be done to reduce the impact of disasters
 Economic Vulnerability – those of livelihood activities are more prone to be
affected by disasters than others
The vulnerable individuals, families, communities, community structures, services,
or activities concerned called “elements at risk”. It is also important to remember
that vulnerabilities are dynamic and can change for good or for worse over time.

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  Disaster – defined as the serious disruption of the functioning of a
community, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses,
which exceed the ability of the affected people to cope using their own
resources.
 Can be classified according to different criteria.
Onset: slow & rapid
Cause: natural & man-made

PHILIPPINE PROFILE FOR HAZARDS AND DISASTERS

In terms of disaster risk, Philippines ranked third among all of the countries with the
highest risks worldwide according to the World Risk Report 2018, with index value
of 25.14% (World Economic Forum, 2018).

At least 60% of the country’s total land area is exposed to multiple hazards, and 74%
of the population is susceptible to their impact (GFDRR, 2017).

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 Risk to Earthquakes

The top ten provinces that are at risk to earthquakes are:

 Surigao Del Sur (Philippine Trench)
 La Union (Manila Trench)
 Benguet
 Pangasinan (Manila Trench)
 Pampanga
 Tarlac
 Ifugao
 Davao Oriental
 Nueva Vizcaya
 Nueva Ecija

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 Risk to Earthquake-Induced Shallow Landslides

Most of the provinces, except Palawan, are susceptible to landslide hazards. The
top ten provinces that are at risk to earthquake-induced shallow landslides are:

1. Ifugao 6. Bukidnon
2. Lanao Del Sur 7. Aurora
3. Sarangani 8. Davao del Sur
4. Benguet 9. Davao Oriental
5. Mountain Province 10. Rizal

Risk to Volcanic Eruptions

The top ten provinces at risk are:

1. Camiguin 6. Sorsogon
2. Sulu 7. South Cotabato
3. Biliran 8. Laguna
4. Albay 9. Camarines Sur
5. Bataan 10. Batanes

Camiguin has the highest risk because the land area is so small such that a volcanic
eruption can affect the whole province. Sulu ranked second because it has the most
number of active and potentially active volcanoes.

Risk to Tsunamis

Most of the coastal areas have experienced a tsunami or have a tsunami hazard
potential. The top ten provinces that are at risk to tsunamis are:

 Sulu (Sulu Trench & Cotabato Trench)

 Tawi-tawi (Sulu Trench & Cotabato Trench)
 Basilan
 Batanes
 Guimaras
 Romblon
 Siquijor
 Surigao del Norte
 Camiguin
 Masbate

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DISASTERS

I. Floods – occurs when surface water covers land that is normally dry or
when water rises above its usual levels. Floods is the most widespread of
all hazards, floods can arise from abnormally high rainfall, storm surges

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 from tropical storms, dams collapsing, snow melting rapidly.
Floods replenish soil fertility, provide water for crop irrigation and fisheries,
and contribute seasonal water supplies to support life in arid lands.

Flashfloods
 Often happen in the small rivers or streams in the mountainous areas.
 Usually the results of very heavy rains in sloping areas where trees and
plants have been destroyed and water cannot be absorbed into the soil.
 Happen quickly and consist of rapid flowing water, which can pick up and
sweep along everything in its path.
 Start soon after the rain begins and it is difficult to determine where they
occur.
 Can also happen when reservoirs or dams are broken.
River Floods
 Happens when river water flows faster and at a higher level than usual.
 Usually caused by heavy rains upstream.

Coastal Floods
 Occur when sea tides break or over flow the sea dyke, bringing seawater
inland.
 Coastal flood often occurs at the same time as low-pressure storms or
typhoons near the shore.

Causes
The most important cause of floods is
excessive rainfall.
Construction works such as roads,
railways and irrigation systems can
also cause flooding by preventing the
natural flow of water to the sea.
Floods can also happen when dykes,
dams or embankments break.
Big storms may cause the sea waves
to come a long way onto the land and
result in flooding and saltwater
intrusion.
Effects
Result in injury or death to people.
Damage houses and property and
important possessions, and affect
people’s livelihood. Can also lead to
food shortage.
Damage to facilities such as hospitals
and roads, and can also disrupt the
supply of clean water.
Beneficial Effect:
- replenish the nutrients in the soil
- restore underground and safer water

Flood Representation:

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 II. Drought – occurs whenever there is a serious lack of rain over a long
period of time, which affects either, or both, the surface or underground
water supplies. It threatens people’s livelihoods especially if they occur in
a populated area

Of all the natural disasters, droughts can have the greatest potential impact
and affect the largest number of people. Droughts, however, differ from
other natural hazards. Because of their slow onset, their effects may
accumulate over time and may linger for many years.

Their impacts are less obvious than for events such as earthquakes or
cyclones but may be spread over a larger geographic area. Because of the
pervasive effects of droughts, assessing their impact and planning
assistance becomes more difficult than with other natural hazards.

Sometimes, droughts can happen even when there is no shortage of rain.

- For example, if forest has been cut down and the ground cannot
absorb water, the water will run away.

Causes
Natural environment is destroyed and
the soil cannot absorb water due, for
example, to deforestation and cut and
burn cultivation.
People exploit and use water sources
inappropriately.
Evaporation of water from lakes and
rivers which is not replaced by rainfall,
and due to changing weather patterns.
Lack of rain.
Effects
Difficulty in getting enough water for
drinking, cooking and daily use that
also leads to increased sickness,
especially to children and old people.
Reduced productivity of crops and
trees, which may die or cannot be
replanted, may lead to food shortage.
Farm animals like pigs, cows and
buffalo may either have to be sold or,
if the drought lasts for a long time,
may die due to thirst or sickness.
Fish and shrimp die as water in ponds
and lakes disappears.

III. Typhoon – can hit the Philippines any time of year, with the months of June
to September being most active, with August being the most active
individual month and May the least active.

Tropical cyclones entering the

Philippine Area of Responsibility
(PAR) are given a local name by
the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical
Services Administration
(PAGASA), which also raises
public storm signal warnings as
deemed necessary.

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 Cause Effects
Death and injury of people and
The causes of tropical low-depression animals.
and typhoons are complicated. Storm surges push seawater onto
the land causing saltwater intrusion
To date, scientists have not discovered that affects agriculture, fish, shrimp and
all the causes of tropical low- crab production.
depressions and typhoons. Livelihood and facilities’ damage.
The heavy rains may cause the
However, they came to some flooding.
conclusions that such storms are Power lines can be damaged and may
easily formed over the tropical sea. cause fire or electrical accidents, even
power interruptions and
communication lines can be cut.

IV. Climate Change – the change in the “average weather” that a given region
experiences. Average weather includes temperatures, wind patterns and
precipitation. Climate Change Phenomena include:
 El Niño – evidenced by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the
Equatorial Pacific, causes drought
 La Niña – evidenced by unusually cold sea surface temperatures
in the Equatorial Pacific, causes flooding

“"If you really think that the environment is less important than the economy,
try holding your breath while you count your money. “– Guy McPherson

Fifty (50) years ago the layer of greenhouse gases was thin, so the sun’s rays were
reaching the earth and were reflected back into space.

Human activity has led to an increase in the levels of carbon monoxide and methane
in the atmosphere, while at the same time reducing natural carbon sinks such as
forests. Overtime, the layer of gases in the atmosphere slowly became thicker,
preventing gases from escaping.

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 Causes
Climate change is directly and
indirectly caused by human activity.
Human activities can lead to:
1. An increased level of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere
resulting from the burning of
fossil fuels, coal, natural gas
and from industry.
2. An increased level of
methane from flooded rice
paddies, cattle herds.
3. Changes in land use patterns
(deforestation, forestation,
farming patterns, etc.)
Effects
Effects from the expected changes in
extreme climate phenomena differs in
many ways. The following are the
effects of climate change in the
community:
1. Injury and loss of life.
2. Property damage and loss.
3. Salination of cultivable land.
4. Changes in income
generation and aquaculture
products.

Effects of Climate Change in Different Aspects

 Increasing temperature leads to:
- An increased risk of crop loss
- An increased incidence of death and serious illness for the elderly
- More damage to building foundations resulting from ground
shrinkage, which is a result of soil drying
- A decreased level of water resources and quality
- An increased risk of fires, including forest fires
 Increasing number of typhoons leads to:
- An increased risk to human life and livelihood
- An increased risk of disease
- An increase in coastal erosion and damage to coastal buildings
and infrastructure
- Damage to coastal ecosystems
 More intense and long lasting rains lead to:
- Increased floods
- Increased mudslides
- Increased landslides and soil erosion
 Serious drought caused by El Niño leads to:
- Decreased agricultural productivity
- Decreased hydraulic power potential in drought-prone areas
 Change in the water quality leads to:
 An increased in salinity of water in the lagoons and rivers

V. Fire – uncontrollable flames. Fires may occur in populated areas, in

cultivated land (at the end of a harvest) or in forests.

In the Philippines, thousands of lives and billions worth of property are lost
every year because of seemingly inescapable fires, often caused by
negligence and sheer apathy of its consequences.

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 From 2013 to 2017, the BFP recorded a total of 77,724 fire incidents, or an average
of 15,545 fire incidents every year or 42 fire incidents a day.
 total estimated damage to property: P23.273 billion or an average of P4.65
billion every year.
 Death toll: 1,257 people were killed or an average of 251 deaths every year.
 injured persons: 4,239, or an average of 848 persons suffering from fire-
related injuries that could have been avoided.

Cause
Fires may be caused by people who
are careless with flammable materials,
such as petrol, kerosene, rice straw,
firewood and unsafe electric
appliances. They occur more in very
hot weather, in the dry season or in a
period of drought or in forests.
Effects
Fires burn houses, crops, trees and
property.
Fires may cause death or severe burns
to people and cause disfigurement.

According to the BFP, the top three

causes of fires are electrical Fires burn different items and produce
connection, lighted cigarette butt and deadly toxic gases into the
open flame. atmosphere. These gases can quickly
suffocate people.
• Electrical – short circuits and
electrical overload Fire also generates smoke that blocks
• Lighted Cigarette Butt - vision and stings the eyes.
usually indiscriminately
thrown away by cigarette
smokers
• Open Flame - triggered by
torch, candle or burning gas
stove left unattended

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 DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Relationship between Hazard, Vulnerability and Disasters:

Disaster Management – the collective term used to describe all the encompassing
aspects of planning and responding to disasters, including post-disaster activities.

In other words, disaster management

refers to the entire range of activities
and interventions that can, and
should be, undertaken before, during
and after a disaster to minimize loss
of life, property and human suffering
and to hasten recovery.

Pre-disaster:
- Prevention and Mitigation
- Preparedness
During: Response
Post-disaster:
- Rehabilitation
- Recovery
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Template 4 is modified from Project WRITE XI: An Easy Guide for Course Pack Making and Module Development by the DNSC IM
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Template 4 is modified from Project WRITE XI: An Easy Guide for Course Pack Making and Module Development by the DNSC IM
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 Difference of Rehabilitation and Reconstruction:

Rehabilitation
involves restoring local
services related to the provision of
immediate needs
implies a systematic return to pre-disaster
status
refers to actions taken in the aftermath of
a disaster to enable basic services to
resume functioning, assist victims’ self-
help efforts to repair physical damage,
restore community facilities, revive
economic activities and provide support
for the psychological and social well-being
of the survivors
Reconstruction
may not necessarily restore the damaged
structures and resources in their previous
form or location
takes into account reduction of future
disaster risks
represents long-term development
assistance, which could help people in the
affected areas to rebuild their lives and
meet their present and future needs

Types of Rehabilitation:

1. Physical Rehabilitation
- includes reconstruction of physical infrastructure, such as,
houses, buildings, railways, roads, communication network, water
supply, electricity etc.
- involves policies for agricultural rehabilitation
- includes the developmental measures that requires expenditure
and costings

Example: Attention needs to be given to disaster-resistant house

construction. Earthquake resistant buildings must be planned on sites of
hard bedrock. The sites chosen should not be steep, narrow and clayey.

2. Social Rehabilitation
- often assumed to be a community function and neglected in most
post-disaster programs
- disasters can render some groups such as the elderly, orphans,
single
- parents with young children, etc., much more vulnerable to
disaster aftermath due to lack of adequate support
- construction of infrastructure such as community centers, day care
centers, old age homes, etc., is a vital part of social rehabilitation

3. Psychological Rehabilitation
 psychological trauma of losing relatives and friends, and the scars
of overall shock of the disaster event can take much longer to heal
than the stakeholders

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 Reducing the Impacts of Disaster:

Three main strategies to minimize the adverse impact of disasters:

1. Reduce the potential adverse effects of hazards through the design and
implementation of structural and non-structural mitigation measures.
2. Decreasing vulnerabilities of people at risk by identifying and addressing
the root cause of their vulnerability.
3. Increasing the capacities of people and their organizations to plan for and
respond to future disaster events.
These strategies are collectively called Disaster Reduction or Disaster Risk
Reduction measures. The objective of disaster risk reduction is to decrease the
community’s vulnerabilities and increase their capacities to better cope with and
withstand hazards.

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 DISASTER MANAGEMENT CYCLE

Disaster Management can be defined as the body of policy and administrative

decision and operational activities which pertains to the various stages of disaster at
all levels. Broadly disaster management can be divided into pre-disaster and post –
disaster contexts. The two context encompass various activities under its umbrella
which aims at prevention and mitigation, as well as response.

Disaster management consist of different phases. The time period for each phase
may depend on the type and severity of the disaster.

 Disaster phase – The phase during which the event of the disaster
takes place. This phase is characterized by profound damage to
human society. This damage/loss may be that of human life, loss
of property, loss of environment, loss of health or anything else. In
this phase, the population is taken by profound shock.

 Rescue phase – This is the period that immediately follows the

occurrence of the disaster. In a way, all individuals respond to the
disaster, but in their own ways. Almost everyone is willing to help.
The first important step during first 48 hours after a disaster is to
save maximum number of lives. Food, shelter, clothing can be
taken care of in later stage. The immediate need is to have search
and rescue teams in place along-with emergency medical
assistance which can save lives.

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  Relief Phase – During relief phase, there should be a need
assessment of survivors and based upon that immediate relief like
food, clothing and shelter must be provided. Depending on the
initial needs assessment, relief is provided to the survivors. The
relief must be adequate and appropriate to the culture of the
affected community. The relief is generally provided by external
agencies (NGOS, INGOs) and Government resources. Immediate
medical need includes immediate medical assistance, safe
drinking water, nutritious food, temporary shelters, food, clothing,
information on missing relatives, psycho-social assistance to
trauma victims, special care to children, elderly and physically
challenged special attention to pregnant and lactating women.

 Recovery phase – When the immediate needs of the population

are met, when all medical help has arrived and people have
settled from the hustle – bustle of the event, they begin to enter
the next phase, the recovery phase which is the most significant,
in terms of long term outcome. It is during this time that the victims
actually realize the impact of disaster. It is now that they perceive
the meaning of the loss that they have suffered.

 Prevention phase – This is the phase which indicates the start of

pre-disaster phase. It engrosses measures to be taken in order to
prevent a specific hazard from becoming a disaster. There are
different measures required for different hazard.

 Mitigation phase – The notion of this phase is to mitigate the

impact of a disaster if ever a disaster takes place. This phase
includes technology and scientific techniques too. For example,
predicting the path, time to be taken of a cyclone after knowing
that it is approaching the country is one mitigation strategy so as
to avoid losses of lives and property. Having a natural mangroves
plantation along the coast is one mitigation measure. Construction
of earthquake resistant buildings is another mitigation measure.

 Preparedness phase – This phase involves the development of

awareness among the population on the general aspects of
disaster and on how to behave in the face of a future disaster. This
includes education on warning signs of disasters, methods of safe
and successful evacuation and first aid measures. Preparedness
must be on part of individual organizations as well as community
as a whole.

In your locality, determine a specific hazard that is very likely to happen or present.
Application On the determined hazard, make a table of cause and effect. (10 pts.)
Causes Effects

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 Essay.
Assessment Answer with your own words and understanding.
1. For instance, following a damaging typhoon. What steps or things to be
done as a part of rehabilitation? How about for the reconstruction? (5 pts.
for rehabilitation and 5 pts. for reconstruction)
2. Simulate a scenario wherein the different phases of disaster management
are applied. State first the disaster. Followed by the situations on each
phase. (10 pts.)

Great job! You can now proceed with the next module. 
Closure

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