Bio 1 _Lesson 4

Earth and Science

How Can We Protect Ourselves from Disaster?

In the previous lessons , we have discussed the different natural calamities or hazards.
Throughout the records of our Philippine geologic history, various disasters have been reported
.Storms and floods have been the most frequent hazards that occur in the country.
Furthermore, there are also reported earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and landslides that
resulted to large casualties.

The severity of the damage caused by natural disasters is commonly blamed on the
results of human activities. Our country has experienced great floods due to human activities,
such as denudation of our forests, irresponsible dumping of garbage (especially in rivers and
other bodies of water), building houses in “no go zones”. Among others. Rampant tree cutting
also causes the soil loosen and makes some areas susceptible to landslides. However, , we also
have to recognize that our country is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire, making us prone to
earthquakes and tsunamis.

Nobody can predict when and how a disaster will strike, but what we can do is to be
prepared. Disaster occur when the identified hazards or vulnerable conditions exist but the
people are not sufficiently prepared for such calamities. What then can we do?

The following list of maps illustrate the susceptibility of the Philippines to various natural
disaster/hazards. All of the maps are downloadable from the PHILVOCS website
([Link] the Manila Observatory
([Link]/geophys_maps.html).

1. Risk to Earthquakes
 2. Philippine Fault Zone Map
3. Active Faults and Trenches Map
4. Risk to Volcanic Eruptions
5. Earthquake – Induced Landslide Susceptibility Map
6. Liquefaction Susceptibility Map
7. Tsunami-Prone Area.

These maps show the susceptibility of our country to natural hazards, as well as
human-induced disasters. Our government for the past several years has exerted various efforts
to reduce the risks posed by these natural hazards. The Philippine government joined the other
167 nations at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe Japan to establish the
international framework – the Hyogo Framework for Action- for building the resilience of
nations and communities against disasters and reducing vulnerabilities and risks to hazards. The
Philippines also ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency
Response (AADMER) in December 2009. This supports the country’s policy on disaster
management.

On June 21, 2010, through Executive Order No. 888, the Strategic National Action Plan
(SNAP) on Disaster Risk Reduction was adopted by the government. This resulted to the
establishment of the National Disaster Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) , the
government agency tasked to implement and monitor actions to address the issues and
problems dealing with disasters.

In order to promote a safer, adaptive, and disaster resilient Filipino communities, the
Council proposed a plan focusing on four different areas, namely: Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation , Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Disaster Rehabilitation and
Recovery.
 Disaster Preparedness Disaster Response

Establish and strengthen Provide life prevention and

capacities of communities to meet the basic subsistence
anticipate , cope, and recover needs of affected population
from the negative impacts of based on acceptable standards
emergency occurencies and during or immediately after a
disasters. disaster

Disaster Prevention and Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery

Mitigation
Restore and improve facilities
Avoid hazards and mitigate ,livelihood and living conditions, and
their potential impacts by organizational capacities of affected
reducing vulnerabilities and communities , and reduce disaster
exposure and enhancing risks in accordance with the” building
Safer,
capacities of communities back better”priciple
adaptive and
disaster
resilient
Filipino
communities
towards
sustainable
development

Figure: Strategic National Action Plan (SNAP) of the government

Area 1: On Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

Similar to any sports competition, knowing the opponent is important before going into
battle. This area focuses on estimating and measuring the risks of various natural hazards.
Prevention means the avoidance of adverse effects. In order to avoid such, assessing and
evaluating areas identified as hazards in terms of the risks us important. Mitigation, on the
other hand, means reducing or limiting the effects of the risks in case it could be avoid. For
example , tall buildings are susceptible to earthquakes; thus , improving the frameworks of
buildings and adding features to make them resilient is one way of mitigating risks. The flood
control project of the a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) creates huge
drainage systems directing flood water towards the open sea.

But more importantly, assessing the risks in one’s place or location should be
prioritized. The PHILVOCS of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Mines
and Geoscience Bureau (MGB) of the DENR , in cooperation with other government agencies ,
constructed geological hazard maps and flood maps. These maps provide information and
awareness to the people as as regards the vulnerability of their areas to natural disasters. Also,
the Philippine Atmospheric , Geophysical, Astronomical services and Administration (PAGASA)
is continuously enhancing its capability of delivering accurate and timely weather forecasts. The
Project NOAH (Nationwide Operation Assessment of Hazards ) of the DOST provides a great
help in informing the people about the prevailing weather disturbances in the area.

Area 2. On Disaster Preparedness

Knowing is not enough to win a battle; training is also key. Disaster preparedness
supports disaster prevention and mitigation. This area provide s strategic actions that promote
community awareness and understanding , contingency planning, conduct of local and national
drills , and the development of the national disaster response plan. This area is predetermined
by the outcomes of Area 1.
 Part of this area is to conduct trainings and seminars for emergency responses teams
and for each local community to make community members become aware of the risks of the
existing hazards in the community

Area 3: Disaster Response

If the disaster is inevitable, attending to the casualties after the event must be

implemented, This area provides for key actions for actual disaster response operation such as
needs assessment, search and rescue , relief operation and early recovery activities . This
involves acquisition of response equipment and proper training of rescue personnel. For
immediate action , each community or barangay is required to put up their own disaster
response team, aside from the national and regional response team.

The success and realization of the tasks of this group rely on the completion of the
first two groups.

Area 4: On Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery

As the ends, attending to the wounded and beginning the recovery process must
follow. Preparation and quick response may not always ensure zero casualty, but they can
significantly reduce the number. This area covers the operations in the aftermath of the
disaster, including the treatment and rehabilation of survivors. The main concerns in this area
are related to employment and livelihoods, infrastructure and lifeline facilities, and housing and
resettlement . These are recovery efforts done when people are already outside of the
evacuation centers.

Part of the task is to identify what elements should be prioritized and what could be
under long-term solution. This will be included in their Operational Timeline, as follows:

Immediate Term ( IT) within 1 year after the occurrence of the disaster
 Short Term ( ST) within 1 to 3 years after the occurrence of the disaster

Medium Term (MT) within 3 to 6 years after the occurrence of the disaster

Long Term (LT ) Beyond 6 years after the occurrence of the disaster

Summary

1. A natural hazard, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization, is a severe and

extreme weather and climate event that occurs naturally in all parts of the world.
Natural hazards become natural disasters when people’s lives and livelihoods are
destroyed as a result events.
2. Because of its geologic location and tectonic setting, the Philippines is considered as one
of the topmost countries that frequently experience a lot of natural hazards , such as
earthquakes, floods, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
3. A volcanic eruption occurs when magma inside the volcano rises up through the vent of
a volcano and moves towards the surface of the Earth, Volcanoes may erupt differently
depending on the composition of the magma amount of gas in the magma, and the type
of vent from which the magma erupts. This can be classified as either explosive, wherein
volcanic materials are ejected; or nonexplosive, wherein volcanic materials flow on to
the surface.
4. The common types of materials ejected from a volcano are lava, tephra, and gases. Lava
is the term used for the magma released onto the surface. It may break into the surface
or flow rapidly down the volcano slopes. Tephra or pyroclastic materials, are rock
fragments thrown airborne during an explosive eruption . This can cause greater
damage and casualties to a nearby town. Lav flows and pyrocrastic flow/eruptions are
rarely life threatening but can cause great damages to property.
5. PHILVOCS classifies volcanoes as active, potentially active, or inactive in terms of
frequency of eruption. Active volcanoes are volcanoes that have erupted within the last
 10,000 years. Potentially active volcanoes are morphologically young-looking volcanoes
but with no historical records of eruption. Inactive volcanoes have no record of
eruption.
6. An earthquake is a movement or shaking of the ground or the Earth’s crust as a result of
tectonic activity. The three major earthquake generators in the Philippines are the
Philippine Trench, the Manila Trench , and the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ )
7. A landslide is a mobent of mass of earth(soil,mud , rcks, or debris.) down a slope. It also
pertains to the wide variety of processes resulting from the downward and outward
movement of slope- forming materials including rocks, soil, artificial fill, or a
combination of these . This may be categorized as erosion but in a large scale. It is
known as landslide. A common cause of landslide is slope saturation by water and
eartquakes. Human activities , such as deforestation, cultivation, construction, blasting,
and logging , may aggravate natural cause of lanslides.
8. A tsunami occurs when the seafloor suddenly deforms and displaces vertically the water
above it, as a result of earthquakes.
9. A tropical cyclone or typhoon is commonly described based on its sustaining wind and
speed, and classified based on his intensity. It derives its energy from the latent heat of
condensation, which makes the cyclone form over the oceans but weaken rapidly on
land. Typhoons generally weaken as the move toward the land, because they lose the
main fueling ingredient that sustains them – the moist air of the ocean.
10. A storm surge is the abnormal rise of water brought by a storm . During the storm, the
water level increases its height beyond the normal tide, creating a storm tide . When it
moves inland. It is referred to as a storm surge.
11. A flood is an overflow or large accumulation of water that submerges the land that is
not normally covered by water. If may occur when water from the bodies of water, such
as river or lake , escapes its usual boundaries and therefore overflows. It may also occur
due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground.
12. Marine processes are associated with the action of the waves . Waves are caused by
wind and controlled by wind speed , duration and fetch. They could be in the form of
breaking waves or long shore drifts, both of which could result to erosion and mineral
deposition along the shoreline.
13. Natural disasters could not be easily predicted when and how they will strike , but the
only thing one can do is to be prepared. Disaster occur when the identified hazards or
vulnerable condition exist, but the people’s capacity to cope with consequencies is
insufficient
14. The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) is the government
agency tasked to implement and monitor the disaster risk reduction plan. In order to
have safer, adaptive , and disaster – resilient areas namely: Disaster Prevention and
Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Disaster Rehabilitation and
Recovery.