Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction PDF

1 Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Module 4 Disaster and Disaster Risk Concept of Disaster Disaster is a dangerous situation or threat from natural or man-made events that disrupt the functions of individuals in a community. This could mean death, damage to resources, and los...

1 Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Module 4 Disaster and Disaster Risk Concept of Disaster Disaster is a dangerous situation or threat from natural or man-made events that disrupt the functions of individuals in a community. This could mean death, damage to resources, and loss of property. Thus, a community under disaster might need assistance to recover. Disasters occur when a hazard is exposed to a vulnerable community. A hazard is a threat to life, environment, or property. A hazard can be considered a disaster if it poses an actual harm to life and environment. It can be classified based on its origins: natural and man-made.  2 Natural hazards are caused by an abrupt or slow onset of naturally occurring phenomena which can be biological, geological, hydrological, meteorological, and climatological in origin. Table 1 Natural Hazard Description Biological Diseases, Epidemic, Plague Geological Earthquake, Landslides, Tsunamis, and Volcanic Activity Hydrological Avalanche, Floods Meteorological Storms Surges, Cyclones, and Tornadoes Climatological Drought, Wildfire  3 Man-made hazards are caused by human activities and occur near human settlements. Pollution, industrial, and transport accidents, conflicts (war and terrorism), and technological structures are some examples of man-made hazards. The failure to withstand the impacts of hazards is called vulnerability. For example, a town located near an active volcano is more vulnerable to a volcanic eruption compared to a town located far from the volcano. Nature of Disasters How are disasters formed? We can recall that disaster occurrence is a combination of hazards and vulnerability. A vulnerable community exposed to a hazard is prone to disaster risks. Vulnerability is often caused by limited resources, illnesses within the population, and disabilities within a community. Failure to plan proper disaster management procedures also contribute in disaster formation.  4 Natural Disasters Some natural disasters are unpredictable, but communities can prepare for its occurrence to avoid heavy damages. For example, the earthquake on the West Valley Fault lining the National Capital Region and nearby areas is unpredictable. However, the government and nearby communities can take precautionary measures to reduce the potential negative impacts of the earthquake. The different communities around the area continue to conduct earthquake drills to prepare for the upcoming disaster. On the other hand, natural disasters like typhoons occur with warning. PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services) and the media provide information about the typhoon’s speed and location so that citizens could take precautionary measures and evacuation procedures before the typhoon strikes. Man-made Disasters Man-made disasters are caused by human activities and usually occur in human settlements. Like natural disasters, man-made disasters can happen with or without warning. Flood caused by an unknown leak or breakage in a water dam, without proper mitigation is an example of unpredicted disaster. Some of the most severe man-made disasters strike without warning. An example is the war at Marawi that caused the death of hundreds of civilians and soldiers, damage to properties, and the spread of diseases. Table 2 Examples of Natural and Man-made Disasters Natural Disasters Man-made Disasters wind related (typhoons) war water related (flash flood) arson Earth related (landslides) industrial explosions space related (asteroid collisions) wildlife extinction Concept of Disaster Risk Disaster risk is defined by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) as “the combination of the probability of an event and its negative consequences.” This includes severity of hazard, number of damage to people and resources, and their vulnerability to damage. Hazard – any phenomenon that can potentially cause damage to life, property, or environment. Exposure – any element (people, property, or system) that is present in a hazard and is prone to potential loss. Vulnerability - feature of a community that makes them prone and exposed to the negative impacts of hazard.  5 To understand disaster risks, one must also consider the community’s capacity to protect itself against disasters. The ability of a community to withstand, accommodate, and recover from a disaster is called resilience.  6 Disaster Risk Factors There are several factors that affect the degree of disaster risk in a community. These factors can intensify or lessen the effects of disaster. These factors can be classified into physical, psychological, socio-cultural, economic, and biological aspects. Physical – This includes the concrete objects in a community that can help or harm an individual during a disaster. Examples are availability of fire exits during a fire, sturdiness of infrastructure or the ability of a building to withstand earthquakes. Psychological – It includes the mental state of an individual, like the ability of an individual to respond to a disaster and fear. Socio-cultural – This includes traditions, religion, and social statuses in society. Examples include community folklore, presence of bayanihan system, etc. Economic – This includes resources in the community and the income source of individuals such as farming and employment. Biological – This includes the flora and fauna in the environment, their health, and its diseases. Disaster Risk Reduction Disaster risk reduction aims to decrease the risk level in communities. It implements policies and measures to control potential risks like poor urban and rural planning, poverty, and poor government and local capacities. Disaster risk reduction is implemented in order to: reduce vulnerability to life, property, or environment to an existing hazard; reduce degree of exposure to hazards; and increase preparedness through proper mitigation procedures. Effects of Disasters Devastations caused by disasters do not just cause death and damage to property. There are other several physical, medical, and psychological aspects in a community affected by calamities. The severity of effects in these aspects are due to several factors. Population Increased population in evacuation centers is the most immediate effect during a disaster. Natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons force people to vacate their homes and seek shelter to a nearby safe area. In the Philippines, the common evacuation areas are schools and churches. These infrastructures can accommodate a large number of people and can usually withstand a natural disaster. However, a large number of evacuees in an area will have limited access to basic needs like food and clean water. Children and elderly become prone to diseases. Schools and churches that serve as evacuation sites suspend their operations which lead to delays in classes and the progress of students’ education.  7 Health One consequence of disaster is threat to the population’s health. Severe flooding caused by typhoons can increase the presence of stagnant water in the area. This stagnant water is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay their eggs and for the growth of bacteria. A common disease during a typhoon is leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that affects humans. An increase in the number of dead and sick people can continue if medical assistance is not immediately given. The people staying in an evacuation center has a high chance of acquiring an epidemic or disease outbreak because of close contact to sick people. Poor personal hygiene and lack of clean and available comfort room also adds to the problem. Food Food becomes limited after an occurrence of disaster. Source of food from farms, poultry, and aquaculture become damaged after a disaster, thus the supply of food becomes limited. Typhoons and drought cause damage in crops of farms and gardens. As a result, the price of food becomes higher and people’s ability to buy supplies is reduced. This can lead to malnutrition and hunger, brought upon by these disasters. This can hamper the development of children in the long run.  8 Psychological The devastating impacts of disaster can be traumatic for any person who has experienced it. Exposure to deaths and catastrophe can be unforgettable to anyone especially to children. Many children could develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing such disastrous events. PTSD is a serious psychological condition from extreme trauma. Inability to notice and address it early, can lead to a lifetime of emotional distress and psychological damage. Factors Affecting Severity of Effects Severity of Exposure A person exposed to a more severe disaster has higher risk for mental distress. For example, a family who experienced a first-hand fire incident has a higher risk than their friends and other people who have watched the news about the fire. Psychological problems after disasters are usually triggered by exposure to the death of an immediate family member.  9 Age Research shows that individuals ranging from 40-60 years old are more prone to disaster distress than children. Adults have more pressures like their jobs and families, and these adds up to their emotional distress after a disaster. The higher stress of parents is related to their children’s slow recovery. Human Resilience Humans are naturally resilient. Resilience is the ability of individuals to recover from the impacts of a disaster. There are several factors that increase the resilience of an individual: 1. Social support includes emotional support by sharing traumatic experiences, coping mechanisms, and finding a sense of comfort from others. 2. Coping confidence is the self-efficiency to believe that one can survive any disaster and reduce mental distress in the future. This method of coping includes values like optimism, hope, and confidence. Hazards are a risk factor in the occurrence of disasters. Thus, a disaster can be prevented if the risk brought by a hazard can be prevented or reduced. For instance, a typhoon is a natural hazard that can be predicted using weather satellites. Its impacts can be reduced if proper mitigation procedures are done such as information dissemination and evacuation before the typhoon strikes in a community. This is called proactive approach to emergency preparedness. What will happen if no measures are made to prepare for a disaster? Or if the disaster is unforeseen? For example, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Central Visayas in 2013 killed 222 people, resulted to 350 000 displaced victims, and destroyed 73 000 buildings. Earthquakes are unforeseen natural hazards due to the movement of plates in the earth’s crust.  10 Response during the occurrence of a disaster is important to lessen damages. If a hazard is predicted in an area, agencies should warn the citizens in the area. It can be in the form of news announcements done in various media sites and community evacuations. During the actual disaster, emergency response teams should be fast in recovering individuals trapped in unfortunate situations to reduce the number of casualties. Always remember that a hazard only becomes a disaster when it impacts human life and damages properties. The greater the number of people in a risky area, the greater chance it will become a catastrophe. Identifying communities or populations who have a higher risk during disasters can help protect more lives. Areas or Location Exposed to Hazards The Philippines is geographically located at the “Pacific Ring of Fire”. These are countries that are usually hit by disasters like earthquake. According to the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), the worst combination of disasters experienced by the Philippines was from 1901 to 2000. The occurrence and effects of disasters are inevitable but reducing the severity can be done by proper mitigation procedures. One way to reduce disaster impact is to identify the areas exposed or prone to hazards. This information is helpful in planning for disaster risk reduction and management. Identifying hazards can be categorized per type of hazard. This lesson focuses on identifying different areas exposed to natural hazards.  11 Prediction and Warning Prediction is a statement of probability of hazards to occur based on a number of evidences or observations. These observations can come from precursor events or unusual physical changes. For example, volcanic eruptions are usually preceded by a series of earthquakes and changes in the chemical composition of the gases coming from the volcanic vent. Monitoring these activities can predict potential volcanic eruptions. A warning is a signal that tells of a high probability of occurrence of a hazard. When a warning is issued, the community should be alert on the dangers of the potential event and proper measures should be made. Climate and Weather Related Hazards Areas with low elevation is more prone to impacts of typhoons and floods. Also, areas with poor drainage systems, located near bodies of water can be prone to floods as well. Steep landforms with poor vegetation are prone to landslides during typhoons. Geophysical Related Hazards Earthquakes are more prominent in areas near fault lines. We can recall the tectonic plates in the earth’s crust and identify which are the fault lines. Areas that are deep-focused, are prone to earthquakes because of its trench and nearby active faults. Man-made Related Hazards Fire hazards can be caused by faulty electrical wiring, children playing with matches, candles left unattended, burning garbage, leaking LPG tanks, and using firewood in cooking. War is considered the worst man-made disaster. In the Philippines, the war in Marawi last May of 2017 caused a huge disaster not only to the city’s infrastructure but to the lives of the people living there. Activity No. 1 Your goal is to ensure that your household is aware of the hazards and knows how to respond in case of disaster. You are a responsible member of your household and wants all the family members to be prepared in case of emergencies. You need to create a hazard map and identify the potential effects of hazards. You can use the space below for making the map and the table. Your map and table will be judged based on the following criteria: the location of each house component are clearly drawn and labeled the location and type of hazards are all identified the table lists all types of hazards in the house and matched with possible effects  12 Disasters in Different Perspective Looking at a bigger picture, a disaster does not just affect the individuals that have experienced it. There are other perspectives to consider in studying its effects. This could also help in gathering information to create disaster risk reduction plans in the future. Physical and Environmental Aspect When a disaster hits, the first line of impact is the environment. Disaster causes drastic changes in the structure of the environment. For example, when an earthquake occurs in an area, there is a high possibility that roads will break and crack. Landslides in the mountains causes erosion of the soil. This will lead to the removal of an arable layer of soil. Arable soil is needed to plant more trees to prevent landslides in the future. Droughts can cause soil cracking in farms as well because of the absence of water moisture. Because of this, farmers cannot provide enough supply of crops because the land is not suitable for crop growth. Socio-economic Aspect Impacts of disaster in the socio-economic aspect include the state of the social well-being and the financial resources of the community. Government agencies are responsible for reducing the socio-economic impacts of the community through proper mitigation procedures. Recent studies revealed that developing countries like the Philippines are more vulnerable to  13 socio-economic impacts. One reason is that developing countries are more prone to disaster impact because of its high vulnerability and low resistance. The low economic status of developing countries contribute to their high vulnerability and mitigation procedures has to involve proper budget allocation. Urban areas with more stable infrastructure are less vulnerable than areas with poor infrastructure. Proper information dissemination and education about disasters are lacking in some rural areas. Because of this, they fail to implement a proper disaster risk reduction plan in their area which would lead to higher risk and vulnerability to a disaster impact. Educational Aspect Access to information is important in reducing the hazardous effects of disasters. Observation and data analysis is not just essential for identifying risk in disasters but also to educate and train people on how to reduce disaster risk. Students in elementary and high school are greater in population. This large percentage in a community is crucial in literacy when it comes to disaster management. For example, students in Senior High School are taking up the subject Disaster Readiness and Risk reduction as part of the new curriculum for the K to 12 program. However, when disaster strikes, schools used as evacuation centers, hinder the education of the students. Psychological Aspect A natural or man-made disaster is a traumatic event that can cause stress, depression, and anxiety. People with underlying mental illnesses is considered a vulnerable group. Shock and denial stages after disastrous events are normal for victims that is why they need psycho-social intervention to be able to cope and live a normal life. Biological Aspect Disasters can cause health problems to individuals. In a larger scale, these diseases can cause an epidemic or an outbreak especially if emergency care is not available. In terms of biological diversity, animals, and plants that live in a community where disaster strikes can drastically decrease in number. This would result to imbalance in the ecosystem and potentially limited access to food resources, agriculture, and livestock. Political Aspect A disaster may also change the way citizens feel about other people in general, like after giving donations to assist affected individuals. A disaster may also affect public opinion about the government, because citizens can feel and see how the government handled the effects of disaster. In that respect, potential social and political effects of disasters occur through direct and indirect experiences. In the Philippines, a disaster have brought donations from local and international agencies. Survivors and their families expected to rebuild their properties from those donations but government rebuilding efforts seem too slow. This scenario made a huge political impact to the country regarding the trust rating of government officials.