GENERAL CONCEPTS

A DISASTER is COMING!
 S TE
DI S A
R
 DEFINITION

DI
S
o “Any occurrence that causes damage, ecological
disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of health
services on a scale, sufficient to warrant an extraordinary

A response from outside the affected community or area.”

(WHO)

ST
E
 DEFINITION

DI
S
o “An occurrence either nature or man made that causes
human suffering and creates human needs that victim
cannot alleviate without assistance.”
A (American Red Cross)

ST
E
 DEFINITION

DI o “ A sudden, calamitous event, bringing great damage,

S loss, destruction and devastation to life and property”

(Asian Disaster Preparedness Center- ADPC, 2012)

A
ST
E
 DEFINITION

DI is any event that causes widespread human,

S economic, and environmental losses or impacts that

seriously disrupt the normal functioning of a

A community.

- when an event causes a significant number of dead

ST of missing people in an area is considered a disaster.

E
 AR D
H AZ
 DEFINITION

H
is a threat or harm that has the potential
A to cause damage (e.g., injury, destruction

Z of properties, environmental degradation)

to a community
A
R
 DEFINITION

H A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human

A activity or condition that may cause loss of

life, injury or other health impacts, property

Z damage, loss of livelihood and services, social

and economic disruption or environmental

A damage

R
 B
A
C
HOW and WHEN will an
event become a disaster?
RIS K
Risk
The probability of harmful consequences or
expected losses, resulting from interaction
between natural or human-made hazards
and vulnerable conditions.
 Hazard

Disaster risk

vulnerability
DEFINITION

ER

SA
SK

ST

DI
RI
 “The probability that a community’s structure
or geographic area is to be damaged or
disrupted by the impact of a particular hazard,
on account of its nature, construction and
proximity to a hazardous area”

(ADPC, 2012)
Effects of Disasters according to measurable
severity

•Primary Effects
- are direct situations arising from the disater itself.

ex. when a strong typhoon hits the village, it can cause

primary effects such as flooding, destruction of houses,
damage to property, and loss of life. Usually, a geographical
zone can be mapped to identify areas that are included
among the primary effects.
•Secondary effects

- are situations resulting from the primary effects.

Among the secondary effects of a strong typhoon

that has hit the village is the disruption of electrical
and water services because of damage to power and
water lines.
•Tertiary effects
- are those that are not experienced as a disaster taking place but can
be felt some time after the disaster has occured. They may also
develop from primary or secondary effects that have become
permanent and may change a natural process in the community

In the same example of the ruined village, flooding is a primary effect

that may become a tertiary effect when the location of the village's
river channel changes a result of flooding, leaving the old channel
dry. This, in turn, can give rise to other effects such as lack of water
for crops grown in the village and lack of livelihood due to the
destruction of farmland.
ASSIGNMEN
T
 Answer the following questions briefly.
1. What is a disaster and how does it differ from hazzard?
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2. When is a situation considered a disaster?
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3. How do disasters affect people and the environment?
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4. What are the effects of disaster on the economy of a community?
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