Disaster Readiness & Risk Reduction Quiz

Disaster Readiness & Risk Reduction (DRRR)

• Disaster Readiness & Risk Reduction (DRRR) is a broad concept aimed at minimizing the impacts of disasters.
• Disaster is defined as a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society, caused by hazardous events interacting with conditions related to exposure, vulnerability, and capacity. This can lead to human, material, economic, and environmental losses and impacts.
• Disaster risk is the potential loss of life, injury or damages to assets, in a defined area and period, determined by hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity.

Lesson Objective

• Understand the meaning of a disaster.
• Identify the various risk factors that contribute to disasters.

Guide Questions

• Possible reasons for wearing masks (e.g., pandemic prevention)
• Dangerous implications of not wearing a mask in a pandemic situation (e.g., spread of disease)
• Personal perspectives on wearing masks and the reasons behind them
• Understanding disaster based on presented activity/scenario

The Concept of Disaster and Disaster Risk

• Disaster risk is calculated by multiplying hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, then dividing by capacity.
• Hazard—a process, phenomenon, or human activity that causes loss of life, injury, or impacts to health, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.
• Exposure—situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production capacities, and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas
• Vulnerability—conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors or processes that increase the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets, or systems to the impacts of hazards, and
• Capacity—combination of all available strengths, attributes, and resources within an organization, community, or society to manage and reduce disaster risks and strengthen resilience.

Nature of Disaster

• Natural hazards and disasters—results and outcomes of naturally occurring processes throughout Earth's history.
• Man-made/human-induced/anthropogenic hazards and disasters—results from human actions and interactions with the environment. Examples include wars, fires, and pollution.

Disaster Risk Drivers

• Climate change—can amplify disaster risk and weaken community resilience.
• Poverty—extreme poverty intensifies disaster impact.
• Socio-economic inequality—can limit the capacity of households and communities to manage risks and develop resilience.
• Increased population density/growth—heightens vulnerability to disasters.
• Rapid and unplanned urbanization—intensifies disaster severity.
• Environmental degradation—reduces the environmental capacity to meet social and ecological needs.
• Lack of awareness—causes unpreparedness, thus exacerbating disaster risks.
• Weak governance—inefficient/incompetent protection of human rights and services results in weaker governance.

Activity: Recalling the Challenging Times

• The activity focused on a recent disaster event (likely a disease outbreak) in the Philippines, as exemplified by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Metro Manila.

Questions

• The given questions focused on the nature of the disaster, those who will be impacted, and the negative implications.

Assessment

• Question 1: Vulnerability is determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors or processes that enhance the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets, or systems to the impacts of hazards.
• Question 2: Hazard is a process, phenomenon, or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury, or other health impacts, property damage, or socio-economic disruption, or environmental degradation.
• Question 3: Risk drivers are the variables that increase the scope and effects of hazards, these are exposure, and vulnerability.
• Question 4: Properly planned urban development is NOT a risk driver.
• Question 5: A disaster is NOT an event occurring in an area with zero exposure.