VULNERABILITY

Objective:

 At the end of the lesson, you should be able to explain

the meaning of vulnerability.
 Vulnerability
• The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR) in its 2014 list of terminologies defines vulnerability as a
set of “characteristics and circumstances, system, or assets
that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of hazards.”
• It is one of the determinants of the effects and impacts of hazards.
• It affects how people live, their resources, and their capacity to
address hazards.
• It can also be defined as lack of power to be safe in times of
disasters.
 In 2016, the Philippines is ranked as the third country with very high
disaster risk based on the World Health Index calculated for the United
Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security .
 The World Risk Index 2022 (released September) ranked the
Philippines first in the world in risk among 193 countries worldwide
(representing 99 percent of global population). India and Indonesia
ranked second and third, followed by Colombia and Mexico.
(https://bit.ly/3jA39cC)

On average, there are 22 tropical depressions that hit the country

though not all of those bring disaster.
 There are also earthquakes that hit the country hard, most recently in
2013 and 2016. The Visayas region was greatly affected and many
properties and infrastructures were destroyed.
 On the other hand, the northernmost province of Batanes has been
known as the crossroad of typhoons, but every time a typhoon hits this
province it always registers zero casualties. From the data on the
Philippines and the case of Batanes, what could be the factors that
make an area experience or prevent disaster?
Factors Affecting Vulnerability

 Variations or levels of vulnerability depend

on wealth, education, gender, age, and
other cultural and social conditions.
• There are three (3) main factors that affect the level or degree of
vulnerability of communities:

1. Physical: Location, Environment, Structural

2. Social: Absence or presence of Disaster Risk Reduction
Management committee and resources in community
 Cooperation of community members

3. Motivational: Coordination of DRRM committee, local
government, and residents
 Funds not directed to DRRM needs
 Lack of initiative of community leaders/local government
 Lack of coordination of community leaders with the community
members
 In the given examples, the interplay of physical,
social, and motivational factors affect the level
of vulnerability of a community.
 High vulnerability: Local leaders allow
buildings to be used as residences even when
the structure has no facilities for escaping in
case of fire hazard.
 Low vulnerability: The local government
conducts quarterly disaster-readiness drills that
are participated by all schools, markets,
residents, and offices in the whole barangay.
Categories of Vulnerability
• Hazard-specific
• The geophysical and locational attributes of
the elements or communities are factors that
make them susceptible to forces of specific
types of hazards.
• Setting-specific
• The area whether it is rural or urban depends
on setting-specific factors such as the
economic situation in the area and the
population density.
• Hazard-specific:
• Catanduanes is vulnerable to typhoons.
• Surigao is vulnerable to tsunami and storm surge.
• Central Luzon is vulnerable to an eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
• Metro Manila is vulnerable to 7.2 magnitude earthquake called
“Big One.”
• Setting-specific:
• Baseco compound is a congested area with many makeshift
houses. Due to its location and the economic status of people
living there, it is vulnerable to different hazards.
• Metro cities of Cebu and Manila due to its congested areas and
high population are vulnerable to fire and earthquake.
 How do physical and social vulnerabilities manifest in times
of hazards?
• Physical:
• During a typhoon, destruction of power and water
supplies, and telecommunications facilities are
physical vulnerabilities in a community.
• Social:
• During a typhoon, families with the capacity to store
supplies are less vulnerable in contrast to daily and
below-minimum wage earners that cannot buy extra
supplies to store in times of emergency.
Elements Exposed to Particular Hazards:
 Specific Types of Elements Exposed to Particular Hazards Lack of
attentiveness to proper use and maintenance of these elements
directly related to electricity make them exposed to fire hazard:
 Faulty electrical wirings
 Faulty outlets and outdated appliances
 Extension cords
 Electrical gadgets and appliances left unattended
 Space heater
 Light fixtures
 Biological substances and chemicals
Vulnerabilities of Elements Exposed to
Hazards
 Physical vulnerability
 Physical vulnerability refers to objects that are susceptible to
hazards.
 • Structures nearer to the source of a hazard are more vulnerable to
disasters as opposed to those located farther.
 • The material composition of structures contributes to physical
vulnerability.
 Example: Wooden houses are more susceptible to fire hazard as
opposed to those made up of concrete, but wooden houses are less
prone to collapse during earthquakes.
 Social vulnerability
 Social vulnerability encompasses identifying people’s capacity to cope
with hazards, being able to form a structured organization, and
creating an implementation of proper disaster risk reduction and
management.
 • Marginalized people are more vulnerable to hazards.
 • The absence of organizational structure adds to social vulnerability.
 Examples: Differently-abled people are marginalized. Their specific
needs make them more vulnerable to hazards.
 • The deaf will not be able to hear warning alarms of an impending
disaster such as a tsunami.
 • Paraplegic (paralyzed) people, those who have paralysis on both
legs, will need assistance to evacuate an area that is about to be
flooded.
 • The blind will not be able to see where to vacate if his or her
settlement is on fire
 Environmental vulnerability
 Environmental vulnerability describes the potential
degradation of the surrounding landscapes and
biodiversity due to hazards.
 Example: One factor that affects environmental
vulnerability is climate change. It increases the overall
temperature of the ocean and the atmosphere. It also
increases the chance of unpredictable weather patterns.
The result is a highly destructive nature that degrades
more landscape, creates more flood, and threatens
biodiversity even more.
 Economic vulnerability
 Economic vulnerability identifies the potential losses of resources of
the people and the community. It is linked to other types of
vulnerabilities.
 • Economic losses are incurred when physical disasters occur.
 • Environment vulnerability is also economic vulnerability to those
whose livelihoods are dependent on agriculture, fisheries, and animal
farming.
 • Poverty is a socioeconomic factor that limits the resources of
people and the community to cope with hazards.
 Example: In a disaster, destruction of houses, buildings, or
infrastructures has a significant effect on the economic means of a
community.
Capacity to Cope with Hazards
 Reducing the vulnerabilities of different elements exposed
to hazards can be done.
 • Resources are important in capacity building to lessen
vulnerabilities of elements.
 • Social interaction and communication among members
of the community are crucial in creating a well-planned
structure against a potential disaster.
 • A community with high or low exposure to hazard but
has a high coping capacity has lower vulnerability
compared to a community with a low coping capacity.
 Example:
 Most people can cope to lessen the adverse effects and
risk of hazards within themselves or a particular area.
 This applies to all kinds of people as long as they can
gather resources, network, information, and skills to help
against the imminent hazard around them.
 Remember! Exposure and vulnerability are two different
things. Two elements can be exposed in the same setting
but have different levels of vulnerability.
Activity:

In the table below, fill in the information being asked based on the situation of
your own community.
Type of Vulnerability Description Possible Hazard/Disaster

Physical

Social

Environmental

Economic

Political