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.