Drrr-week-1-2.docx

DISASTER AND DISASTER RISK

b. Human-made Disasters – Occur due to people’s actions against human, material and environment. o Hazardous materials, cyber attacks, power service disruption and blackout, radiological emergencies, explosion, nuclear power plant and nuclear blast, civil unrest, chemical treat and biological weapons

Disaster 

Defined as “a sudden, calamitous event, bringing great damage, loss, destruction and devastation to life and property” (Asian

Disaster Preparedness Center) 

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Defined as “a serious disruption of the functioning of society, causing widespread human, material or environmental losses, which exceed the ability of the affected people to cope, using their human resources” (Adelman) Its origin can be natural: o Earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes Or of human origin: o Explosions, nuclear accidents, and terrorist acts

Risk Factors Underlying Disasters 

Disaster Risk 

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Defined as “the probability that a community’s structure or geographic area is to be damaged or disrupted by the impact of a particular hazard, on account of its nature, construction and proximity to a hazardous area”(ADPC,2012) Signifies the possibility of adverse effects in the future. It is derived from the interaction of social and environmental processes, from the combination of physical hazards and the vulnerability of exposed elements.

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Nature of Disasters 

Two types of Disaster a. Natural Disasters – These originate from the “forces” of nature o Agricultural diseases and pests, storm surge, drought and water shortage, earthquakes , storms, landslide and debris flow, thunderstorm and lightning, tornadoes, tsunamis, wildfire, sinkholes, emergency diseases

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Severity of Exposure o The amount of exposure to the disaster is highly related to risk of future mental problems. o Highest Risk: Those that go through the disaster themselves o Higher Risk: Those in close contact with victims o Lower Risk: Those who only had indirect exposure, such as news of the severe damage Gender and Family o Women or girls suffer more negative effects than do men or boys. o Disaster recovery is more stressful when children are present in the home. o Having family member who is extremely distressed is related to more stress for everyone. o Lack of support in the home make it harder to recover from disasters. Age o Adults who are in the age range of 40-60 are likely to be more distressed after disasters o Children show more severe distress after disasters than do adults. Other factors specific to the survivor o Recovery is worse if survivors: o Were not functioning well before the disaster o Have had no experience dealing with disasters o Must deal with other stressors after the disaster o Have poor self-esteem o Think they are uncared for by others

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o Think they have little control over what happens to them o Lack the capacity to manage stress Other factors have also been found to predict worse outcomes: o Bereavement (death of someone close) o Injury to self or another family member o Life threat o Panic, horror, or feelings like that during the disaster o Being separated from family(especially among youth) o Great loss of property o Displacement(being forced to leave home) Developing Countries o Have more severe mental health impact than do disasters in developed countries Low or Negative Social Support o The support of others can be both a risk and a resilience factor.

Exposed to Natural Hazards

Exposed to Man-made Hazards

Disaster from Different Perspective Effects of Natural Disasters on Human Life    

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Displaced Populations Health Risks Food Scarcity Emotional Aftershocks

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.

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Physical Perspective o Disaster is defined as a phenomenon that can cause damage to physical elements such as buildings, infrastructures, including people and their properties, e.g. houses and environmental sources of living. o Assessment of disaster is focused on the following common questions: 1. How many families are affected? 2. How many houses are damaged or washed out? 3. How many buildings collapsed or are damaged? 4. How many roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructures are damaged? 5. What is the extent of damage in agricultural industry? Psychological Perspective o Disaster is regarded as an occurrence involving an expected or uncontrollable event rather than a long-term experience.

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o A disaster is something that could happen within a hazard rather than the hazard itself. o Other Psychological effects: 1. Emotional effects 2. Cognitive effects 3. Physical effects 4. Interpersonal effects Socio-Cultural Perspective o Disaster is analyzed based on how people respond having a parameter their social conditions and cultural settings. Economic Perspective o Natural disaster can be defined as a natural event that causes a perturbation to the functioning of the economic system, with a significant negative impact on assets, production factors, output, employment and consumption. Political Perspective o Natural disasters are commonly thought to be less politically contentious than armed conflicts. Yet, a closer look reveals that politics are deeply wedded to both the impact of a natural disaster and the subsequent delivery of humanitarian assistance. o Government interventions should be present in following phases of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management: 1. Prevention 2. Mitigation 3. Preparedness 4. Recovery Environmental Perspective o Disasters are not random and do not occur by accident. They are the convergence of hazards and vulnerable conditions. o Disasters not only reveal underlying social, economic, political, and environmental problems, but unfortunately contribute to worsening them.