Disaster and Emergency Management Quiz

Learning Outcomes of Disaster and Emergency Management

• Understanding definitions of disasters and emergencies is essential for effective response.
• Awareness of impacts on individuals, families, and communities post-disaster.
• Recognizing the influence of disasters on mental health and wellbeing, especially in relation to mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
• Familiarity with foundational concepts of disaster mental health and psychosocial assistance.
• Importance of protecting the rights of affected populations, focusing on vulnerable groups during emergencies.

Hazards and Their Types

• Hazards are processes or phenomena that may cause loss of life, injury, health impacts, property damage, and environmental degradation.
• Natural hazards stem from geological, hydro-meteorological, and biological phenomena:
  • Geological: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes.
  • Hydro-meteorological: thunderstorms, tornadoes, El Niño.
  • Biological: outbreaks of diseases like bird flu, SARS, and Ebola.
• Human-induced hazards include:
  • Technological: accidents from industrial failures, oil spills, nuclear incidents.
  • Armed conflict: terror attacks and mass violence causing widespread destruction.
  • Everyday hazards: household items that may be dangerous for children.

Understanding Disasters

• Disasters occur when a hazard leads to significant loss of life, injuries, or displacement, overwhelming the community’s ability to cope.
• Defined by Republic Act 10121 in the Philippines as a serious disruption impacting human, material, and economic elements beyond local resources.
• Impacts encompass loss of life, injuries, diseases, and extensive property damage, leading to social and economic disruptions.

Disaster Risk and Its Components

• Disaster risk is the potential loss from hazards, determined by hazard strength, community vulnerability, and exposure.
• Formula: R = Hazard x Vulnerability x Exposure / Capacity.
• Vulnerability refers to community characteristics that increase susceptibility to hazards.
• Exposure indicates the likelihood that a community will encounter various hazard events based on location and density.