DISASTER READINESS AND RISK

REDUCTION
 VULNERABILITIES OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS EXPOSED TO
SPECIFIC HAZARDS

 ASPECTS OF VULNERABILITY
1. poor design and construction of buildings
2. inadequate protection of assets
3. lack of public information and awareness
4. limited official recognition of risks and preparedness
measures
5. disregard for wise environmental management
 VULNERABILITIES OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS EXPOSED TO
SPECIFIC HAZARDS

 Physical Vulnerability
- may be determined by aspects such as
population density levels, remoteness of a
settlement, the site, design and materials used for
critical infrastructure and for housing
Example: Wooden homes are less likely to collapse
in an earthquake, but are more vulnerable to fire.
 VULNERABILITIES OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS EXPOSED TO
SPECIFIC HAZARDS

 Social Vulnerability
- refers to the inability of people, organizations and
societies to withstand adverse impacts to hazards due
to characteristics inherent in social interactions,
institutions and systems of cultural values.
Example: When flooding occurs some citizens, such as
children, elderly and differentlyable, may be unable to
protect themselves or evacuate if necessary.
 VULNERABILITIES OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS EXPOSED TO
SPECIFIC HAZARDS

 Economic Vulnerability
- The level of vulnerability is highly dependent
upon the economic status of individuals,
communities and nations
Example: Poorer families may live in squatter
settlements because they cannot afford to live in
safer (more expensive) areas.
 VULNERABILITIES OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS EXPOSED TO
SPECIFIC HAZARDS

 Environmental Vulnerability
- Natural resource depletion and resource
degradation are key aspects of environmental
vulnerability
Example: Wet lands, such as the Swamp, are sensitive to
increasing salinity from sea water, and pollution from
stormwater runoff containing agricultural chemicals,
eroded soils, etc.
 HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
 Hazard – a potentially destructive physical
phenomenon.
Hazards can take many forms:
1. Natural: earthquake, landslide, tsunami, cyclones,
extreme temperatures, floods, or droughts
2. Biological: disease outbreaks including human,
animal, and plant epidemics and pandemics
 HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
 Hazard – a potentially destructive physical
phenomenon.
Hazards can take many forms:
3. Technological: chemical and radiological agent
release, explosions, and transport and infrastructure
failures.
4. Societal: conflict, stampedes, acts of terrorism,
migration, and humanitarian emergencies.
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES

Exposure – the location, attributes, and

value of assets that are important to
communities (people, buildings, factories,
farmland, etc.) and that could be affected
by a hazard.
 HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
 Exposure
Populations are often talked about as being directly or indirectly
affected.
Direct effects include injury, illness, other health effects,
evacuation, and displacement, and economic, social, cultural, and
environmental damages.
Indirect effects refer to additional consequences over time
that cause unsafe or unhealthy conditions from economic,
infrastructure, social, or health and psychological disruptions and
changes.
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
 Exposure
In terms of severity:
 Primary Effects – direct situations arising from the
disaster itself.
 Secondary Effects – situations resulting from the
primary effects
 Tertiary Effects – those that are not experienced while
a disaster is taking place but can be felt some time
after the disaster has occurred
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES

Vulnerability – the likelihood that assets

will be damaged/destroyed/affected when
exposed to a hazard. It is highly dependent on
the context of the hazard, since is shaped by
the context’s individual factors and behaviors,
history, politics, culture, geography, institutions,
and natural processes.
 HAZARDS, EXPOSURES AND VULNERABILITIES
 Vulnerability
Some groups that are commonly thought of as having higher levels of
vulnerability are:
- People living in poverty - People with chronic illness or
- Women underlying health conditions

- Children and youth - Migrants

- Older people - Ethnic minorities and indigenous

peoples
- People with disabilities
- Sexual minorities