DISASTER

READINESS AND
RISK REDUCTION
 DISASTER
A serious disruption of the functioning of a
community or a society involving
widespread human, material, or
environment losses and impact, which
exceeds the ability of the affected
community to cope using its own resources.
 DISASTER
Since December 2009, United Nations International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) has served
as the implementing body for the International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)
 DISASTER
The UNISDR further defines disasters as a result of
the combination of:
• The exposure to a hazard
• The conditions of vulnerability that are present
• Insufficient capacity or measures to reduce or
cope with the potential negative consequences
 How and When an Event Becomes a Disaster?
An event, either human –made or natural,
becomes a disaster when it is sudden or
progressive, causing widespread human,
material or environmental losses
 How and When an Event Becomes a Disaster?
1. At least 20% of the population are affected & in need of
emergency assistance or those dwelling units have been destroyed.
2. A great number or at least 40% of the means of livelihood such as
bancas, fishing boats, vehicles and the like are destroyed.
3. Major roads and bridges are destroyed and impassable for at least
a week, thus disrupting the flow of transport and commerce.
4. Widespread destruction of fishponds, crops, poultry and livestock,
and other agricultural products
5. Epidemics
 Hazard

A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human

activity or condition that MAY cause the loss of
life, injury or other health impacts, property
damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social
and economic disruption, or environmental
damage.
RISK FACTORS
UNDERLYING
DISASTERS
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Severity of Exposure – The amount of exposure to
the disaster is highly related to risk of future mental
problems. At highest risk are those that go through
the disaster themselves. Next are those in close
contact with victims. At lower risk of lasting impact
are those who only had indirect exposure, such as
news of the severe damage.
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Gender and Family Disaster recovery - is more stressful
when children are present in the home. Women with spouses
also experience more distress during recovery. Having a
family member in the home who is extremely distressed is
related to more stress for everyone. Marital stress has been
found to increase after disasters. Also, conflicts between
family members or lack of support in the home make it
harder to recover from disasters.
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Age - Adults who are in the range of 40 – 60 are likely to be
more distressed after disasters. The thinking is that if one is
in that age range, he / she has more demands from job and
family. Research on how children react to natural disasters is
still limited at this point in tie. In general, children show
more severe distress after disasters than adults do. Higher
stress in the parents is related to worse recovery in children.
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Developing Countries -There is a strong body of
evidence that these risk factors can be made worse if
the disaster occurs in a developing country. Disasters
in developing countries, like Philippines, have more
severe mental health impact than disasters in
developed countries. This is true even with less
serious disasters.
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Low or Negative social support - The support of
others can be both a risk and a resilience factor.
Social support can weaken after disasters. This may
be due to stress and the need for members of the
support network to get on with their own lives.
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Other factors specific to the survivor Several factors related to a survivor’s
background and resources are important for recovery from disasters.
Recovery is worse if survivors:
• Were not functioning well before the disaster
• Have had no experience dealing with disasters
• Must deal with other stressor after the disaster
• Have poor self – esteem
• Think they are uncared by others
• Think they have little control over what happens to them
• Lack the capacity to manage stress
 RISK FACTORS UNDERLYING DISASTERS
Other factors have also been found to predict worse outcomes:
• Bereavement (death of someone close)
• Injury to self or another family member
• Life threat
• Panic, horror, or feelings like that during the disaster
• Being separated from family (especially among youth)
• Great loss of property
• Displacement ( being force to leave home)
Week 2
 EFFECTS OF
NATURAL
DISASTERS ON
HUMAN LIFE
 EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON HUMAN LIFE

Displaced Populations - When Mt. Pinatubo erupted

in 1991, thousands of families in Zambales and
Pampanga were displaced. Their communities were
ravaged by lahar flow that turned these communities
into “wilderness”
 EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON HUMAN LIFE

Health Risk - Severe flooding can result in stagnant

water that allows breeding of waterborne bacteria
and malaria carrying mosquitoes. Dengue fever is
another serious health problem caused by
mosquitoes.
 EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON HUMAN LIFE

Food Scarcity - After natural disasters, food often

becomes scarce. Thousands of people around the
world go hungry as a result of destroyed crops and
loss of agricultural supplies, whether it happens
suddenly in a storm or gradually in a drought.
 EFFECTS OF NATURAL DISASTERS ON HUMAN LIFE

Emotional Aftershocks -Natural disasters can be

particularly traumatic for young children. Confronted
with scenes of destruction and the deaths of friends
and loved ones, many children develop post –
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious
psychological condition resulting from extreme
trauma.
 Types of Disaster
Natural Disasters – These originate from the
different ‘forces’ of nature. Natural disasters
such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
typhoons, and cyclones affect many countries in
Asia particularly the Philippines.
 Types of Natural Disasters
Agricultural disease and pests Tsunamis
Storm surge Wildfires
Drought and water shortage Volcanic Eruption
Earthquakes Sinkholes
Hurricanes and tropical storm Emergency disease
Landslide and debris flow Extreme heat
Thunder storm and lightning Floods and flash floods La Niña
Tornadoes
 Human – made Disaster
These disaster occur due to people’s actions
against human, material and environment.
These include transport and industrial accidents,
such as air and train crashes, chemical spills, and
building collapses. Terrorism is also categorized
as human – made disaster.
 Types of Human – made
Disaster
Hazardous material
Power service and disruption and blackout
Nuclear power plant and nuclear blast
Radiological emergencies
Chemical threat and biological weapons
Cyber attacks
Explosion
Civil unres
Exposed to Man – made
Hazard Areas/ Location
Exposed to:
Exposed to Natural Hazard
Areas/ Location Exposed
to:
Disaster from
Different
Perspectives
 Disaster from Different Perspectives
Physical – From this point of view, disaster is framed
according to the extent of damage to physical
property other alteration of the natural environment
or changes in the weather or climate pattern.
Example; collapse of building due to structural
damage done by an earthquake. Or collapse of a slope
of a mountain due to the degradation brought by
flood from super typhoon.
 Disaster from Different Perspectives
Psychological – while coping is a natural mechanism for
human and animals, there are those who are
psychologically scarred after dealing with a disaster in their
lives. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often an
indication that those under emotional stress may often
exhibit unexpected and unaccepted behaviour. Example:
Soldiers who have fought in combat zones are usually
debriefed or schedule to undergo counselling for their
recovery.
 Disaster from Different Perspectives
Economic – Disaster often have an impact on the
commerce and trade of a community or area.
Example; The loss or damage to physical property like
house and building after an earthquake often
hampers members to re-engage with their businesses.
When typhoons damage farms and other sources of
food, food shortages affect the prices and the
purchasing capability of individuals.
 Disaster from Different Perspectives
Sociocultural – When a disaster strikes a community,
the values of those living in it are often tasted. Social
and Cultural activities of the people living in the some
unique communities are altered whenever an
introduced element is brought in. Example: Urban
communities that are prone to flooding cope by
owning a boat or raft which they use to evacuate.
 Disaster from Different Perspectives
Environment – As disaster cannot be anticipated nor
predicted, people who are not ready or trained to
identify and tackle factors prevent them from returning
to their normal life. To illustrate, communities that lives
near coastal area towns resort to tourism after
destruction of their fishing areas and the depletion of
the natural resources like fresh and seafood due to
overheat and dynamite and cyanide fishing.
 Disaster from Different Perspectives
Political – When the government cannot completely
help the communities which have been exposed to
disasters and hazards, politics play a role in fostering
unity or disunity among political players.
Often, political considerations play a role in the
speedy dispatch of humanitarian assistance. When
government operations are paralyzed, it can be
vulnerable to attacks from hostile nations.