Exposure and Vulnerability in Disaster Management

Physical/Material Vulnerability

• Location and type of housing material infrastructure and services can contribute to physical vulnerability, including roads, health facilities, schools, electricity, communications, transport, and housing.
• The Philippines' location in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the presence of active faults, trenches, and volcanoes increase its vulnerability to natural disasters.

Human Capital Vulnerability

• Population demographics, mortality rates, disease prevalence, nutritional status, literacy rates, and poverty levels can contribute to human capital vulnerability.

Social Vulnerability

• Family structure and special categories of vulnerable groups, such as farmers, urban poor, laborers, indigenous people, persons with disabilities (PWDs), women, and children, can be more susceptible to disasters.
• Educational attainment, knowledge, and awareness can affect social vulnerability.

Economic Vulnerability

• Source of livelihood, community resources, household income and savings, market access, and access to goods and services can contribute to economic vulnerability.

Attitudinal/Motivational Vulnerability

• Attitudes towards change, sense of ability to affect one's world, environment, and initiative can impact attitudinal/motivational vulnerability.
• Faith, determination, fighting spirit, religious beliefs, ideology, and awareness orientation towards the past, present, and future can also contribute.

Vulnerability of the Philippines to Disasters

• The Philippines is vulnerable to meteorological disturbances such as typhoons due to its location in the Pacific.
• The country's geography increases its vulnerability to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Exposure and Vulnerability

• Exposure refers to a situation or condition that makes someone likely to be harmed due to lack of protection from danger.
• Vulnerability refers to the diminished capacity of an individual or group to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover from natural or man-made hazards.

Most Vulnerable Sectors

• These include farmers, urban poor, laborers, indigenous people, PWDs, women, and children, who have low capacities to withstand and overcome disasters.

Less Vulnerable Sectors

• These include professionals, small entrepreneurs, and others with higher capacities to overcome disaster effects.

Not Vulnerable Sectors

• These include high-ranking individuals in the community, often targeted in advocacy work related to disaster issues and government policies.

Explore the concepts of exposure and vulnerability in the context of disaster management. Learn about the factors that contribute to making individuals or groups susceptible to harm from natural or man-made hazards.