Disaster Readiness

Risk Reduction

Prepared By: Kenneth C. Fulguerinas

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 MODULE 1: Disaster

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.1 Introduction to Module 1 ……………………………………………… 1-3

1.2 Warm Up Discussion: Scrambled letter …….……………….…... 4

1.3 Lecture: What is Disaster and Hazard …… ……………….…..… 5-9

1.4 Quiz: Disasters and Hazards……………………………………….…… 11-12

1.5 Activity: Fill in the tale …………………………….……….…….…… 13

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 1.1 INTRODUCTION TO MODULE 1

Dear Students,
Hello learners welcome to module 1! In this module is filled
with a lot of information and interesting activities, and we
hope that you will have fun working through each one of
them.

In this module we will discuss about the disaster and the risk
factor.

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Before we begin, take a minute to recall your schema about the disaster and risk factor
and think of some of the goals you set out for yourself for this week.
• Do you want to know what is disaster?
• Do you want to analyze the impacts of disaster?

Module 1 Task List:

• Do you want to learn the ways to reduce the impact of disasters?

We hope that you will find this module informative and, we are very excited to keep
working with you in this subject. Let's get started.

The module should take 1-2 hours to complete. Complete the following tasks by the end
of the week (by Friday, 11:59 p.m PHST).
1. Reflect on your learning in the Warm-up: (15 minutes)
2. Read our first Lecture: (45 minutes)
3. Take the Quiz: (20 minutes)
4. Complete the Activity (40 minutes)

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 1. 2 WARM UP DISCUSSION: Disaster

A. WORD SCRAMBLE: are you familiar with these terms? Study the
scrambled letters and try to unscramble or rearrange the letters to form a
word.

1. ksir _____________________________

2. assretdi _____________________________

3. zashadr _____________________________

4. suimnati _____________________________

5. kequathear _____________________________

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 1.3 LECTURE: DISASTER?

Disaster - The term disaster owes its origin to the French word “Desastre” which
is a combination of two words ‘des’ meaning bad and ‘aster’ meaning star. “A serious
disruption in the functioning of the community or a society causing wide spread material,
economic, social or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected society
to cope using its own resources”.
Disaster – How do we consider? Any hazard like flood, earthquake or
cyclone which is a triggering event along with greater vulnerability (inadequate access to
resources, sick and old people, lack of awareness etc.) would lead to disaster causing
greater loss to life and property.

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Thus, disaster occurs only when hazards and vulnerability meet. But it is also to be noted
that with greater capacity of the individual/community and environment to face these
disasters, the impact of a hazard reduces. Therefore, we need to understand the three
major components namely hazard, vulnerability and capacity. Hazard “A dangerous
condition or event, that threat or have the potential for causing injury to life or damage to
property or the environment.” The word ‘hazard’ owes its origin to the word ‘hasard’ in
old French and ‘az-zahr’ in Arabic meaning ‘chance’ or ‘luck’. Hazards can be grouped
into two broad categories namely natural and manmade Natural hazards are hazards
which are caused because of natural phenomena Hazards with meteorological,
Geological or even, Biological origin. Examples of natural hazards are:
GLOBAL NATURAL HAZARDS, FLOODS, SEVERE WINDSTORMS, EARTHQUAKES,
TSUNAMIS, DROUGHTS, VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS, LANDSLIDES AND WILDFIRES

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Man-made hazards are
hazards which are due to
human negligence.
Manmade hazards are
associated with: Industries
or Energy generation
facilities and include
explosions, Leakage of
toxic waste, Pollution,
Dam failure, Wars or civil
strife etc.

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Vulnerability the extent to which a community, structure, services or geographic area is
likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impact of particular hazard, on account of their
nature, construction and proximity to hazardous terrains or a disaster prone area.”
Vulnerabilities can be categorized into: Physical and Socio-economic vulnerability.
❖ Physical Vulnerability: It includes notions of who and what may be damaged or
destroyed by natural hazard such as earthquakes or floods. It is based on the
physical condition of people and elements at risk, such as buildings, infrastructure
etc.; and their proximity, location and nature of the hazard. It also relates to the
technical capability of building and structures to resist the forces acting upon them
during a hazard event.
❖ Socio-economic Vulnerability: The degree to which a population is affected by a
hazard will not merely lie in the physical components of vulnerability but also on
the socioeconomic conditions. Hazards are always prevalent, but the hazard
becomes a disaster only when there is greater vulnerability and less of capacity to
cope with it.

Capacity “Resources, means and strengths which exist in households and communities
and which enable them to cope with, withstand, prepare for, prevent, mitigate or quickly
recover from a disaster”.
Manageability the degree to which the community can intervene and manage a hazard in
order to reduce its potential impact.
Impacts of Disasters
❖ Medical effects
➢ The medical effects of disasters include traumatic injuries, emotional stress,
epidemic diseases, and indigenous diseases.

❖ Damage to critical facilities

➢ Widespread disasters can destroy or damage facilities that may be critical not
only in maintaining a safe environment and public order, but also in
responding to disaster. Among these are communication installations,
electrical generating and transmission facilities, hospitals, water facilities and
other public and private buildings.

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❖ Disruption of transportation
➢ During the initial stages of disaster, almost all surface means of
transportation within a community are disrupted by broken bridges and roads
and streets that are rendered impassable by landslide or floods.

❖ Economic impact
➢ As a result of the destruction and damage to critical facilities, especially to
transportation and communication facilities, disasters disrupt economies as
normal business operations and other economic activities are reduced. People
must also leave their jobs and devote their time to disaster-related activities,
such as search and rescue, or to caring survivors.

❖ Global environmental change

➢ There is increasing evidence of global climatic change brought about by both
human activity and disasters. Although the long range consequences are hard
to predict, more severe cyclonic storms, an increase in both flooding and
drought. The changes could result in a wide range of more hazards such as
wildfires and mudslides, reduced productivity in the oceans, and weakened
immune systems of people and animals.

❖ Social and political impact

➢ As a large segment of the population in developing countries consists the
poor, who are the most vulnerable whenever a disaster strikes, these countries
are the most affected. The poor are the most prone to disasters like
earthquakes and typhoons because of the structures they live in which are
unreinforced and poorly built.

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 REFERENCES:

• DISASTER READINESS AND RISK REDUCTION RIMANDO 2016

• https://www.slideshare.net/MuhammadAhad/concept-of-disaster
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/284149057713134981/

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 DISASTER
QUIZ NO. 1
NAME:__________________________________________ SCORE:________
YEAR AND SECTION:_______________________________ DATE:_________
I. IDENTIFICATION
DIRECTIONS: Identify the following items by choosing the answer on the box. Write
the letter of the correct answer on the space provided before each number.

a. Natural disaster g. Physical Vulnerability

b. Man-made disaster h. Capacity
c. Disaster i. Manageability
d. Hazards j. Medical effects
e. Vulnerability k. Economic impact
f. Socio-economic Vulnerability l. Social and political impact

_________1. A result of the destruction and damage to critical facilities, especially to

transportation and communication facilities, disasters disrupt economies.
_________2. The degree to which the community can intervene and manage a hazard in
order to reduce its potential impact.
_________3. Means and strengths which exist in households and communities and which
enable them to cope with, prepare for, prevent, quickly recover from a disaster.
_________4. A serious disruption in the functioning of the community or a society
causing wide spread material, economic, social or environmental losses.
_________5. A population is affected by a hazard will not merely lie in the physical
components of vulnerability but also on the socioeconomic conditions.
_________ 6. A dangerous condition or event, that threat or have the potential for
causing injury to life or damage to property or the environment.
_________ 7. A hazards which are caused because of natural phenomena Hazards with
meteorological, Geological or even, Biological origin.
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_________ 8. A hazards which are due to human negligence.
_________ 9. It includes notions of who and what may be damaged or destroyed by
natural hazard such as earthquakes or floods.
_________ 10. The effects of disasters include traumatic injuries, emotional stress,
epidemic diseases, and indigenous diseases.

II. ENUMERATION
Enumerate at least five example of Natural Disaster.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5
Enumerate at least five example of Man-made Disaster
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

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 ACTIVITY NO. 1

Disasters vs. Hazards

Directions: Fill in the the table with the characteristics and definition of disaster
and hazard.

Disaster Hazard

NOTE: Answer the quizzes and worksheets asynchronous to the lesson phasing every week
and submit upon receiving the Module 2.

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