REASONS WHY

CERTAIN SECTORS OF
SOCIETY ARE MORE
VULNERABLE TO
DISASTER THAN
Vulnerability can be seen as the result of a
process in which various different things cause a
population to be more vulnerable. This can be
split into demographic and socio-economic.
They can also be discussed through the level of
community preparedness and the ability of a
community to manage the after effects of a
hazard event.
DEMOGRAPHIC
FACTORS
Population density – The more dense the population, the
more efficient a response should be, considering the number
of people that might be affected by a disaster.
Age of population – Very old and very young populations are
less mobile and able to respond to hazard events well. This
makes them more vulnerable compared to others, and this
requires more attention from the government and other
support agencies especially during emergency evacuation or
relocation.
Distribution of population – regardless of density,
populations may be distributed differently within the
hazard area e.g elderly people on lower floor of
apartment buildings, or concentrations of highly
vulnerable people in poorer areas of a city. This must be
seriously considered in human settlement planning and
relocation activities of the government.
SOCIO– ECONOMIC
FACTORS
Wealth – Low income populations are less likely to be
well prepared. Part of preparation is having a Survival
Kit that include tools to be used, emergency food stock
and water that could last at least 3 to five days. Poor
families will find a hard time to do such preparation due
to lack of money to spend.
Education – Education programs such as the Metro
Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) shake
drill can instruct population on how to deal with
hazard events, like the “Big One”. Encourage
schools to make this preventive action part of their
regular activities, at least once every quarter to get
everybody prepared.
Nature of society – In highly centralized government
structures, efficient emergency response may be the
result of careful planning and training of personnel.
However, it can also lead to bureaucracy and a lack of
autonomous decision making, which slows down
distribution of relief goods and emergency response
efforts in case of extreme emergency.
Understanding of the area – Recent migrants are
likely to struggle to cope with hazard effects compared
to established population. Understanding the area is a
salient factor to be considered in Disaster Preparedness
Planning and this will give greater advantage to the
established or original settlers in a particular area
affected by disaster.
COMMUNITY
PREPAREDNESS
Building codes – Rigorous and applied building codes
protect most buildings from collapse during earthquakes.
This should be seriously considered by the government
in the issuance of building permits and licenses for land
development.
Scientific monitoring and early warning systems –
Established monitoring system can prepare people for
the onslaught of any kind of disaster.
Communication networks – Countries with good
quality and widespread communication networks
allow messages to be quickly shared.
Communication plays a very important and crucial
role in times of disaster. Communication Plan is a
very salient component of Emergency Planning
that should not be left out.
Emergency planning – Preparation is the key
element of prevention. Preparation for a disaster is
embodied in an Emergency Plan. Where monitoring
and communication are in place, the emergency
planning is likely to prepare a person or a group for
such events and take action based on data, rather than
prediction.
DEALING WITH THE
AFTER-EFFECTS
Insurance cover – Another important aspect of
preparation is how to deal with the effects of a disaster.
Disasters, like earthquakes and typhoons, normally
inflict damages to life, property and even to
environmental sources of living. Part of their
preparation, individuals purchase insurance policies to
mitigate their losses, thus preparing them better for
similar future events.
Emergency personnel – These are trained for
community preparedness. The availability of such
personnel will vary depending on the time of day and
location of the hazard event. The Philippines, being a
developing country and prone to different types of
disaster should take into consideration the training of
more emergency personnel as part of disaster risk
mitigation, reduction and management.
Aid request – Outside help in the form of
humanitarian aid is necessary during a disaster.
However, it should be fast and efficient. Inefficiency
and mismanagement of aids, especially foreign aids,
will possibly result to further deaths and loss of
property.
VULNERABILITY TO
SPECIFIC HAZARDS
There are many aspects of vulnerability, arising from
various physical, social, economic, and environmental
factors. Examples may include:
 Poor design and construction of buildings and other
infrastructure;
 Inadequate protection measures of assets;
 Lack of public information and awareness;
 Limited official recognition of risks and preparedness
measures, and
 Disregard for wise environmental management.
According to the UNISDR, there are four
(4) main types of vulnerability:

PHYSICAL VULNERABILITY
SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY
 PHYSICAL VULNERABILITY
Determined by aspects such us population density levels,
remoteness of a settlement, the site, design and materials used
for critical infrastructure and for housing United Nations
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
Example:
Wooden homes are less likely to collapse in an earthquake,
but are more vulnerable to fire.
 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
persons with disability (PWD’s) , may be unable to protect themselves
or evacuate if necessary. Educated and well-informed are more likely to
survive when disaster strikes.
 ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY
The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the
economic status of individuals, communities and nations. The
poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because they lack
the resources to build sturdy structures and put other
engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being
negatively impacted by disasters. This same people are the least
prepared due to lack of access to education and information.
Example:
Poorer families may live in squatter settlements because they
cannot afford to live in safer (more expensive) areas.
 ENVIRONMENTAL
VULNERABILITY
Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are
key aspects of environmental vulnerability. This is one
aspect that both communities and government must be
sensitive about. Mitigation measures like reforestation and
natural resource protection and conservation must be
undertaken to reduce natural disaster risk and
vulnerability.
Example:

Wertlands, such as Agusan Marsh, are sensitive to

increasing salinity from sea water, and pollution from storm
water runoff containing agricultural chemicals, eroded soils,
etc.