BASIC CONCEPTS IN

DRR
Capacity: The combination of all the
strengths, attributes, and resources
available within a community, society, or
organisation that can be used to achieve
agreed goals. Adaptive capacity relates to
the potential of the above to minimise
negative impacts and maximise any
benefits from changes in the climate.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to

Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Coping strategy: Actions taken to mitigate
the negative impacts of adverse situations
such as natural disasters. This could
include, for example, the unplanned sale of
assets such as livestock to raise money for
purchasing food when crops fail. It may
also include temporary migration to urban
centres for paid work.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam:

Introduction to Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009;
Introduction to Climate Change Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009;
UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Climate change: A change in climate that
persists for decades or longer, arising from
human activity (e.g. greenhouse gas
emissions) that alters the composition of
the atmosphere.

Climate change adaptation: Actions that

people and institutions take in anticipation
of, or in response to, a changing climate.
This includes changing what they do,
and/or how they do it.
Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to
Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Disaster : serious disruption of the
functioning of a community or a society
causing widespread human, material,
economic or environmental losses which
exceed the ability of the affected
community or society to cope using its own
resources.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to

Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Disaster risk management (DRM) is a
process for reducing, mitigating or
preventing the risk of disaster. It involves
systematically incorporating a number of
strategies in areas of administration and
management, within the community and in
institutions and organizations, through
policies, programmes and projects to
reduce the impact of natural hazards and
other threats on people and the
environment using structural and non–
structural methods.
Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to
Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Disaster risk reduction: The concept and
practice of reducing disaster risks through
systematic efforts to analyse and manage
the causal factors of disasters, including
through reduced exposure to hazards,
lessened vulnerability of people and
property, wise management of land and the
environment, and improved preparedness
for adverse events.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to

Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Exposure: People, property, systems, or
other elements present in hazard zones that
are thereby subject to potential losses.

Hazard - is a potentially damaging physical

event, phenomenon or human activity that
may cause the loss of life or injury, property
damage, social and economic disruption or
environmental degradation.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to

Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Natural hazard: A natural phenomenon or
process that may cause loss of life, injury
or other health impacts, property damage,
loss of livelihoods and services, social and
economic disruption, or environmental
damage.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to

Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Resilience: Where adaptive capacity
relates to the ability to influence and
respond directly to processes of change (to
shape, create, or respond to change),
resilience is the ability to absorb shocks or
ride out changes.

Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to

Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.
Risk is expressed by the formula, Risk =
Hazard x (Vulnerability - Capacity). The risk of
disaster occurs therefore, when people are
vulnerable and exposed to a range of hazards
such as earthquakes, cyclones and hurricanes,
drought, toxic spills or civil conflicts.

Vulnerability: The characteristics and

circumstances of a community, system, or
asset that makes it susceptible to the
damaging effects of a hazard or the impacts of
climate change.
Sources: UNISDR Terminology of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2009; Oxfam: Introduction to
Disaster Risk Reduction: A Learning Companion, 2009; Introduction to Climate Change
Adaptation: A Learning Companion, 2009; UN Global Assessment Report, 2011.