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STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. ___

1

CHAPTER 1
DISASTER, HAZARDS, VULNERABILITY, CAPACITY, AND DISASTER RISK

MODULE OVERVIEW

A disaster hits any place at any period of any year. It sees no color, knows no culture, and
recognizes no geographical boundaries. It puts lives and properties at risk. The frequency of
disaster occurrences challenges the government in reducing the effects of disasters and in building
a more resilient community. The tasks of the government become even more challenging especially
in disaster-prone areas like the Philippines. However, the task of disaster risk reduction is not the
sole responsibility of the government. The citizens, including students and various sectors, must
participate in this task. Toward this end, it is imperative to study and understand disaster and
disaster risks.

MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Define key concepts of disaster, hazard, vulnerability, and capacity

2. Explain the meaning of disaster risk and the occurrence of disaster
3. Differentiate various elements-at-risk in disaster
4. Describe different effects of disaster

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5. Identify disaster-prone areas in the Philippines

6. Explain the reasons why the Philippines is highly vulnerable to disasters
Identify the effects and outcomes of disasters among the most vulnerable sectors of the Philippines

LEARNING CONTENTS (title of the subsection)

What is a disaster?

The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR, 2004) defines
disaster as “a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread
human, material, economic, or environmental losses, which exceed the ability of the affected
community or society to cope, using its own resources.” Disaster impacts may include loss of lives,
injuries, diseases, and other negative effects on humans’ physical, mental, and social well-being,
together with damage to properties, destruction of assets, loss of services, social and economic
disruption, and environmental degradation.

Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO, 2002) describes disaster as “any
occurrences that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of health
services, on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected
community or area.” Disaster causes a multidimensional impact affecting not only the
socioeconomic and political life, but also the mental and cultural state of the affected area
(Srivastava, 2010). It disrupts the people’s normal day-to-day life such as school life, business
activities, and government services. It brings a condition which overpowers local capacity (IJMES
Quarentelly, 1987).

BASIC CONCEPTS IN UNDERSTANDING A DISASTER

Disaster are frequently described as a result of the combination of (1) the exposure to a
hazard;(2) the condition of vulnerability that are present; and (3) insufficient capacity or measures to
reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences (Department of Education , DRR Manual,
2008). Hence in understanding disaster, it is necessary to have a good grasp of the concepts of
hazard , vulnerability, and capacity.
A. THE CONCEPT OF HAZARD
What is hazard? What are the types and effects of hazard?
A hazard is a situation or an occurrence with capacity to bring damages to lives,
properties, and the environment. Taking the form of natural or man-made or the combination
of the two, a hazard is a dangerous phenomenon or a human activity or condition that may
also cause loss of livelihoods and services, as well as social and economic disruption.
The united nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction or UNISDR (2004)
defines hazard as a “potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon or human activity
that may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption, or
environmental degradation. Hazards can include latent conditions that may represent future
threats and can have different origins: Natural (geological, hydrometeorological, and
biological) or induced by human processes (environmental degradation and technological
hazards) “ (The Hyogo framework for Action 2005-2005: Building the Resilience of Nations
and Communities to Disasters, 2005). Moreover, hazards can be “of natural origin and
related environment and technological hazards and risks” (The Hyogo Framework for Action
2005-2015,2005).

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Types of Hazard
Hazards or threats can be classified into three: natural, human-made or the
combination of both.
1.Natural Hazards
Natural phenomena that pose threats or cause negative impacts to people and
property. Examples are the following:
Typhoon, Storm surge, Flood/Flash flood, Earthquake, Tsunami, Volcanic
Eruption, Lahar flows, drought, red tide, Pestilence ,and fire.
2.Human-made
Human-made hazards include civil conflict, displacement due to development
projects, environmental degradation, industrial technological hazards like leakage of
toxic waste, oil spill, fish kills, nuclear, gaseous , chemical contamination, famine,
drought, fires, and flood.
3. Combination or Socio-natural Hazards
Flooding and Drought can fall under this category if these are due to
deforestation.
Most events are combinations of both natural and human-made factors.
Typhoons are natural hazards that can also cause flash floods. At the same time,
environmental degradation, like excessive and illegal logging , aggravates the impact
of typhoon and the flash floods. The flash in Ormoc in Southern Leyte in 1991 is one
example.
Natural hazards in general cannot be prevented but can be anticipated.
Human-made hazards can frequently be prevented and anticipated. In both cases,
the worst effects of hazard may be reduced or mitigated.

B. THE CONCEPT OF VULNERABILITY

What is vulnerability? What is the effect of vulnerability to disaster?

The concept of vulnerability comes from many aspects, specifically, those that arise
from various social, economic, physical, and environmental factors. Example may include
poor design and construction of buildings, inadequate protection of assets and lack of public
awareness, limited official recognition of risks and preparedness measures, and disregard
for wise environmental management (ODPM 2013). The Asian Disaster Preparedness
Center (2006, p.10) defines vulnerability as “a set of prevailing or consequential conditions,
which adversely affect the community’s ability to prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond
to hazardous events.” These long-term factors affect a household or community’s ability to
absorb losses after disaster and to recover from disaster happens. It precedes disaster,
contributes to its severity, impedes disaster response, and may continue to exist long after a
disaster has struck.

Who are the so-called Most Vulnerable Sectors?

They are the set of prevailing or consequential conditions, which adversely affect the
community’s ability to prevent, mitigate, prepare for and respond to hazardous events.

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They are composed of farmers, the urban poor, laborers, indigenous people, persons
with disabilities (PWDs), women, and children.
In addition, they are the so-called abused sector and at the lowest levels of society.

Who are the so-called Less Vulnerable Sectors?

They are the community members whose capacities start from their own ability to
acquire material resources: skills and training: and position in society.
Their capacities are higher than those in the vulnerable sector to overcome the
adverse effects of disasters.
They are composed of professionals, small entrepreneurs, and others similar to
those who belong to the higher levels of society.
Their role in disaster management activities is to extend assistance and support to
vulnerable sectors.

Who are the so-called Not vulnerable sectors?

They are sectors in society having big position in the community.
Most of the time, they are the targets of the vulnerable and less vulnerable sectors in
advocacy work relating disaster issue to the structure and policies implemented by the
government that are the root causes of the vulnerability of the community.

Categories of Vulnerabilities

According to Anderson and Woodrow (1990), there are three areas of vulnerability,
which are the following:

1. Physical/ Material Vulnerability

For example, poor people who have few physical and material resources
usually suffer more from disasters than rich people. People who are poor often live
on marginal lands; they don’t have any savings or insurance; they are in poor health.
Their physical and material resources are miserable. These factors make them more
vulnerable to disasters, meaning they have difficulty surviving and recovering from a
calamity than people who are better off economically.
 Location and type of housing/building materials
 Land, water, animals, capital, other means of production (access and control)
 Infrastructure and services: roads, health facilities, schools, electricity, communications,
transport, housing, etc.
 Human capital: population, mortality, diseases, nutritional status, literacy, numeracy, poverty
levels
 Environment factors: forestation, soil quality, and erosion

2. Social / Organization vulnerability

People who have been marginalized in social, economic, or political terms are
vulnerable to suffering from disasters, whereas groups that are well-organized and
have a hig commitment to their numbers suffer less during disasters. Weaknesses in
social and organizational areas may also cause disasters. For example, deep
divisions can lead to conflict and war. Conflict over resources due to poverty can also
lead to violence. A second area of vulnerability then is the social and organizational
aspect of a community.

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 Family structure (weak/strong)

 Leadership qualities and structure
 Legislation
 Administrative structures and institutional arrangements
 Decision-making structures (who is left out, who is in, effectiveness)
 Participation levels
 Divisions and conflicts: ethnic, class, caste, religion, ideology, political groups,
language groups, and structures for mediating conflicts
 Degree of justice, equality, access to political processes
 Community organizations: formal, informal, traditional, governmental,
progressive
 Relationship to government, administrative structures
 Isolation or connectedness

3. Attitudinal/ motivational vulnerability

People who have low confidence in their ability to affect change or who have
“lost heart” and feel defeated by events they cannot control, are harder hit by
disasters than those who have sense of their ability to bring the changes they desire.
Thus, the third area of vulnerability is the attitudinal and motivational aspect.
 Attitude toward change
 Sense of ability to affect their world, environment, get things done
 Initiative
 Faith, determination, fighting spirit
 Religious beliefs
 Ideology
 Fatalism, hopelessness, despondency, discouragement
 Dependent/independent (Self- reliant)
 Consciousness, awareness
 Cohesiveness, unity, solidarity, cooperation
 Orientation toward past, present and future

C. THE CONCEPT OF CAPACITY

What is capacity?

According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

or UNISDR (2009), capacity refers to “all the strengths, attributes, and resources
available within a community, organization, or society that can be used to achieve an
agreed goal”. These qualities give space to citizens and communities to cope with,
overcome the adverse effects of, and reduce the risks of disasters through
preparation, mitigation, and recovery. Hence the call is to develop and build these
capacities categorized as socioeconomic, political, ideological/cultural, physical,
organizational, and leadership.

The United Nation Development Programme or UNDP (2009) defines capacity

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development as “the process through which individuals, organizations, and society

obtain, strengthen, and maintain the capabilities to set and achieve their own
development objectives over time.” Moreover, UNDP (2009) identified a number of
assumptions in developing sustainable DRR capacities, which consist of the
following:

 Essential to the success of any DRR initiative is also ensuring locally

generated, owned , and sustained capacity.
 Rather than being the concern of any single agency, professional discipline,
or stakeholder group, the development of DRR capacity is the concern of an
entire society.
 The development of technical capacities associated with professional
disciplines or functions- such as environmental management or land-use
management-needs to be combined with other types of capacity development
that include the promotion of leadership and other managerial capacities and
performance-enhancing measures.
 An enabling environment-i.e,. strong political ownership and commitment at
the highest levels of authority ,extensive participation, transparency, and clear
public accountability-is essential for translating capacity into performance.

It is also essential to understand the community’s coping capacity in relation

with disaster. Coping capacity is “the ability of people, organizations, and system,
using available skills and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions,
emergencies or disaster (UNISDR 2009).”The ability to cope entails sustained
situation assessment , awareness building ,and resource mobilization and
management. The community’s level of coping mechanism and readiness determine
the breadth and depth of disaster risk reduction.

Some examples of capacity:

1. Ownership of land and safe location and construction of home

2. Adequate income
3. Savings
4. Adequate food sources
5. Local knowledge
6. Family and community support in times of crises
7. Responsive local government
8. Enabling legislation
9. Strong community organizations

Community members and groups have different vulnerabilities and capacities.

Different individuals, families, and groups in the community have different vulnerabilities and
capacities. These are determined by age, gender, class, social class, ethnicity, language,
religion, and physical location.

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CAPACITY ASSESSMENT

Capacity assessment refers to the process whereby "people identify resources they
rely on in times of crisis to reduce the damaging effects of hazards and to secure the
sustainability of their livelihood" (Oyetunmbi,n.d., p.1). According to Oyetunmbi (n.d., 4)
capacity asessment aims to:

1. Understand people's previous experiences with hazards that enabled them to

develop coping strategies, and

2. Look into available resources (material, organizational and attitudinal) that the
community uses to prepare for and to mitigate the negative effects of a disaster.

When aiming to make a capacity assessment, a Capacity and Vulnerability Analysis

(CVA) matrix is a useful guide to gather information on both resources and vulnerabilities of
the people. According to Kieft and Nur (n.d.), "during disasters, the community's
vulnerabilities are more pronounced than their capacities".

The CVA matrix identifies vulnerabilities as " long-term factors that affect a
community's ability to respond to events or make it susceptible to disasters" and views
"people's vulnerabilities and capacities in three broad, interrelated areas: physical/material,
social/organizational and motivation/attitudinal" (Canon, ey al.,n.d., p.7). The CVA approach
and matrix are explained in details in the book Rising from the Ashes (1989) by Mary
Anderson and Peter Woodrow, but a brief discussion of the CVA matrix is provided below.

Capacity and Vulnerability Analysis (CVA) Matrix

Vulnerabilities Capacities

Physical/Material
What productive
resources, skills, and
hazards exist?
Social/Organizational
What are the relations
and organizations
among people?
Motivational/Attitudinal
How does the
community view its
ability to create
change?

The features of the physical/material, social/organizational, and motivation/attitudinal vulnerabilities

and capacities are described in detail below.

1. Physical/material vulnerability and capacity.

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This refers to the most visible area of vulnerability. It includes land, climate, environment,
health, skills and labor, infrastructure, housing, finance and technologies. Poor people suffer from
crises more often than people who are richer because they have little or no savings, few income or
production options, and limited resources. They are more vulnerable and recover more slowly. To
understand physical/material vulnerabilities, one has to ask what made the people affected by
disaster physically vulnerable: was in their economic activities (e.g., farmers cannot plant because
of floods), geographic location (e.g., homes built in cyclone-prone areas), or poverty/lack of
resources?

2. Social/organizational vulnerability and capacity.

How society is organized, its internal conflicts and how it manages them are just as
important as the physical/material dimension of vulnerability, but less visible and less well
understood. This aspect includes formal political structures and the informal systems through which
people get things done. Poor societies that are well organized and cohesive can withstand or
recover from disasters better than those where there is little of no organization and communities are
divided. To explore this aspect, one has to ask what the social structure was before the disaster and
how well it served the people when disaster struck; one can also ask what impact disasters have on
social organization.

3. Motivation/attitudinal vulnerability and capacity.

This area includes how people in society view themselves and their ability to affect their
environment. Groups that share strong ideologies or belief systems, or have experience of
cooperating successfully, may be better able to help each other at times of disaster than groups
without such shared beliefs or who feel fatalistic or dependent. Crises can stimulate communities to
make extraordinary efforts. Questions to be asked here include what people’s beliefs and
motivations are and how disasters affected them 9Cannon, et al., n.d., p.7).

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HAZARD, VULNERABILITIES, AND CAPACITY

Understanding the links between hazard, vulnerability, and capacity is important in

formulating and implementing disaster responses with developmental impacts. The Hazard,
Vulnerability, and Capacity Assessment (HVCA):

“involves a participatory analysis of past patterns of hazards and present threats at the
community level (hazard assessment), combined with an understanding of the underlying
causes of why hazards become disaster (vulnerability assessment) and of the available
resources an affected community uses to cope with the adverse effects (capacity
assessment). The HVCA is conducted in high-risk communities which face recurrent
disasters (Oyetunmbi n.d. p.1, emphases added).”

The HVCA Demonstrates The Mutual Dependences Of Hazard, Vulnerability, And Capacity. IT
INTEGRATES INTO ONE FRAMEWORK THE ASSESSMENT OF THESE THREE
INTERRELATED PHENOMENA. The HVCA has the following goals:

 To identify the elements at risk in the community and to prioritize those elements that need
to be protected
 To identify appropriate disaster preparedness and mitigation responses which the
community will include in their counter-disaster plan

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 To raise the community’s awareness about potential disaster risk and what they can do
about it (This is the first step toward organizing the community into a grassroots disaster
response organization.)
 To provide disaster-specific information, which can be integrated in baseline studies for
disaster mitigation and development programs
 Results can be used during emergency periods to identify emergency relief needs and to
draft appeals (particularly if the community has become inaccessible)
 Repeating the HVCA after some time provides indicators to measure changes in people’s
vulnerability (Oyetunmbi, n.d.,p.1).

Since capacity assessment based on the CVA approach and matrix has been discussed earlier,
the following discussion focuses on the assessment of the two other categories, namely, hazard
and vulnerability, with reference to capacity assessment whenever necessary. Based on the HVCA
framework “the purpose of a hazard assessment is to specify the nature and behavior of the
potential hazards and threats people in the community face” (Oyetunmbi, n.d.,p.2).
The features of hazard that need to be considered for selecting effective preparedness
measures include the following:
a. Hazard type: community members can enumerate the kind of hazards that hit or might
hit their community.
b. Warning signs: scientific and indigenous indicators that a hazard is likely to happen.
These can be announcement through the radio, the number of hours of continuous rain,
the particular behavior of animals etc.
c. Forewarning: time between warning and impact. In case of typhoons, the forewarning
can be three to four days.
d. Speed of onset: rapidity of arrival and impact. We can distinguish between hazards that
occur without almost any warning (earthquake), hazards that can be predicted three to
four days in advance (typhoon), and very slow-onset hazards (drought and famine).
e. Frequency: does the hazard occur seasonally, yearly, once a while, once in a lifetime,
etc.
f. When: does the hazard occur at a particular time of the year ( wet or dry season)
g. Duration: how long is the impact of the hazard felt (earthquake and aftershocks; days/
weeks/months that area is flooded; period of military operations) (Oyetunnmbi, n.d., p.2,
emphasis added).

While hazard assessments seeks to specify the nature and behavior of potential hazards
and threats people in the community face, vulnerability assessment aims “to identify the elements at
risk and the reasons why these are at risk”. For vulnerability assessment, one must take into
consideration the following:
a. Extent: Community members, sometimes have difficulty in expressing ‘extent’ in
hectares. ‘Extent’, often interpreted by local people as extent of damage, is usually expressed in
terms of the quantity of seeds planted on the affected land, the number of months in terms of food
supply lost, the number of houses damaged, etc. The best way to indicate the ‘extent’ is the hazard
map, which visualizes the exact location and coverage of the hazard.
b. Elements at risk and why: elements at risk are people, animals, crops, houses, tools,
infrastructure, but also social networks, communication, mechanisms, attitudes, or anything that can
be negatively affected by a hazard. Information is asked to describe the effects of the hazard, or in
other words, the disaster situation.

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c. People at risk: here the groups of people, who are most at risk for a particular hazard,
and how they are affected, are explicitly identified. For example, people most prone to flooding are
those in low-lying areas, near the river, or living in light houses. Among this group, children,
pregnant women, the disabled and old people are most vulnerable. They need assistance during
evacuation, might be more vulnerable to diseases, and have special needs.
d. Location of people at risk: this means that the groups identified as most vulnerable are
located in the hazard map: where do they live? (Oyetunmbi, n.d.,p.3).

LEARNING ACTIVITY

SUMMARY

REFERENCES

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Books
Lanada, et al, 2016, Building Resilient Communities. Phoenix
Publishing House Inc.

e-Books

video clips

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