Natural Hazard & Disaster PDF

NATURAL HAZARD & DISASTER ANTROGOPGENIC terrorism; technological hazards−industrial (pollution), nuclear (nuclear HAZARD A hazard is any phenomena, physical event,...

NATURAL HAZARD & DISASTER ANTROGOPGENIC terrorism; technological hazards−industrial (pollution), nuclear (nuclear HAZARD A hazard is any phenomena, physical event, leak), structural (dam collapse). or human behavior (floods, hurricanes, droughts, o With the definition of a hazard, we can say that it epidemics, nuclear spills, etc.) that can result in harm can be natural or environmental, anthropogenic or to humans, destruction of property, social a combination of both, which we refer to as socio- disruption, or environmental degradation (U.N. ISDR, natural hazard. The following is how UNDRR 2004). (2017) described the different types of hazards: a. Natural hazards – are natural phenomena (observable events without human intervention) that result in hazards. b. Environmental hazards – they can be brought about by physical or chemical pollution of the air, water, or soil or by environmental degradation; but rather than being hazards in and of themselves, many of the processes and phenomena that fall into this category—such as soil degradation, deforestation, biodiversity loss, salinization, and sea level rise—may be better DISASTER is the potential consequence of a hazard, described as drivers of risk and hazard. where a community or population is unable to handle c. Anthropogenic or human-induced hazards – the effects of the hazard, given the resources at are induced entirely or predominantly by human their disposal. A natural event or force that causes activities and choices. damage to property and/or loss of life (National o In today’s world, "technological" and Geographic, 2023) "anthropogenic" are often used interchangeably. However, the former is defined as hazard that stem from technological or industrial conditions, unsafe procedures, infrastructure failures, or certain human activities. o Ex: including Industrial Pollution, Nuclear Radiation, Toxic Waste, Dam Failure, Transportation Accidents, Factory Explosion, Fires, and Chemical spills. o Additionally, technological hazards can also result directly from the impacts of natural hazard “While most hazards may be inevitable, disasters events (UNDRR, 2017). are not.” U.N.ISDR,2004 Natural Hazards Classification of a Disaster Hydrometeorological hazards, the most common natural hazards, are related to the climate, oceans, or movement of wet mass such as floods, droughts, and heat waves. Geological hazards involve changes due to tectonic plates or fault shifting (tsunamis result from shifting of faults) or mass movement of solid Type of Hazards mass. o The type of hazard from which they are rooted, Biological hazards are events that involve the typically defines disasters; therefore, in order to rapid incidence and prevalence of vector-driven understand the different types of disasters, it is diseases, toxins, or pathogens. important to establish the hazards that they originate from. NATURAL categorized into hydrometeorological, geological, and biological. ENVIRONMENTAL events that disrupt the environment, ecosystem, or natural resources (i.e., deforestation, forest fires, change in climate). Interaction of Natural Hazard & Anthropogenic ✓ Geographical (Spatial) Scales or Areal Extent Hazard Areas affected by hazards can differ in size: landslides can cover small areas of a few hundred Additionally, it is crucial to note that each type of square meters while ground shaking from hazard can occur independently or interact and earthquakes can affect several hundred kilometers combine with other hazards simultaneously in the impacting multiple provinces. same time and area, referred to as a multi-hazard event. More recent works on hazard studies refer to these interactions as "cascading". ✓ Frequency or Probability of Occurrence It refers to how often the hazard occurs. Hazards of certain sizes may occur with certain frequencies, as small events may occur often and large events seldom. ✓ A number of examples include the approximately 9 tropical storms that make Given the above examples and discussion, it can be landfall in the Philippines every year said that both natural and anthropogenic and the moderate to devastating flooding hazards can interact and combine simultaneously these can bring every few years, or Metro (i.e., socio-natural hazards) and can cause negative Manila’s anticipated “Big One”: a large impacts on the human system in which disasters earthquake that has not happened in the last happen. 450 years but is now expected to happen any For example, landslides—or, in a more scientific time. term, mass wasting— can be natural, as sediments and rocks tend to move or fall downward due to gravity. However, they can also be anthropogenic, as farming or construction activities can cause such. On the other hand, flooding can also be natural, as rainwater tends to increase the water level in the river and onto the riverbanks. This then affects ✓ Duration answers the question of how long settlements if we do not plan well and continue to the hazard event lasts or occurs. build on floodplains. An earthquake’s ground shaking lasts only from a Processes & Characteristics of Hazards few seconds to minutes but an area may be Hazards have different processes and characteristics inundated by floods for several hours up to several that can be used for their analysis and assessment of days. their potential impact on the human system. Some of ✓ Speed of Onset refers to how quickly the these are the following: peak of the hazard event occurs, with the starting time at the first point of the process ✓ Magnitude refers to the size of the hazard event, towards it becoming a hazard or the energy released, while intensity refers to An earthquake may occur suddenly (rapid onset) the damage and impacts of the hazard. For while drought may take months to take full effect example, the magnitude of an earthquake (slow onset). refers to the energy released at the epicenter while for floods it is the volume and speed of floodwaters. ✓ Intensity, on the other hand, refers to the number and extent of damaged or impacted structures for both hazards.  ✓ Temporal Spacing Given this definition, we can understand that disaster refers to the recurrence happens when the risk from the interaction of hazards, intervals or probabilities exposure, vulnerability, and capacity affects the of return of the hazard human system negatively. While some hazards like VULNERABILITY tides are highly ▪ is the concept defined by the WHO as a predictable, others like “predisposition to suffer damage due to floods or wildfires can be external events” (Inter-American Development influenced by various factors, making them less so. Bank, 1999). Climate change can affect temporal spacing. ▪ As defined by the United Nations, vulnerability is For example, some regions might experience an the culmination of four factors: social, increase in floods or droughts due to more environmental, physical, and economic, each extreme weather events. contributing to the vulnerability of a population alone or by interacting with each other. Example of Vulnerability ▪ An example of vulnerability can be a population residing on an island below sea level near a fault line (physical factor). ▪ Financial strain (economic) brought on by a corrupt government (social) can increase the vulnerability to a hazard and therefore increase the risk of a natural disaster. ▪ Rapid urbanization considerably increases the vulnerability to hazards (UNDP, 2004). When the population of a city grows too quickly, building adequate infrastructure and basic settlements becomes a challenge. The mortality and financial cost of a natural disaster is certainly linked to the severity of the hazard, but also EXPOSURE dependent on how vulnerable a population is to ▪ The situation of people, infrastructure, housing, potential disastrous effects. production capacities and other tangible human RISK OF A DISASTER assets located in hazard-prone areas (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2024). ▪ RISK is commonly understood as a factor ▪ The degree to which the elements at risk are associated with danger that may lead to accidents likely to experience hazard events of different or adverse events. magnitudes (e.g., people, buildings, hospitals, ▪ This aligns with the concept of disaster risk in the farms, etc.in the path of hazard processes and field of disaster management. Both terms involve impacts) (OPOU and UPRI, 2024). assessing the likelihood of an event occurring CAPACITY and its potential negative consequences, as ▪ The combination of all strengths and resources outlined in Republic Act No. 10121 (2009). presents within a community, society, or ▪ According to this legislation, disaster risk is organization, with the aim of diminishing the level technically defined as the possible loss of life, of risk or mitigating the impact of a disaster. injury, or damage to assets within a system, ▪ This encompasses infrastructure, physical assets, society, or community during a specific timeframe. institutional frameworks, societal coping ▪ It is determined probabilistically, that is, based on mechanisms, and human attributes such as the chance of these events happening. This knowledge, skills, and collective qualities like likelihood of disaster is determined by social relationships, leadership, and management considering the possibility of hazards occurring, capabilities. how exposed people and places are to ▪ Capacity can also be synonymous with capability. those hazards, their vulnerability to those hazards, For instance, examples of capacity might involve and the capacity of the community to cope. secure land and house ownership, reliable sources of income, social capital derived from family and community support during crises, local knowledge, effective leadership (UPOU and UPRI, 2024). Risk Assessment Matrix EMERGENCY RESPONSE ❖ Is a series of crucial tasks that are concurrently undertaken during a time of turmoil, instability, and fear; therefore, this phase is heavily dependent on proper preparedness and planning. ❖ Main objective for the emergency response component of the disaster cycle is to locate the necessary resources to maintain and preserve life in the coming days or weeks. ❖ Responses will vary depending on the type and severity of the disaster itself; however, governing RISK REDUCTION bodies work closely with medical staff to utilize ▪ Exposure, vulnerability, and insufficient the skills and detailed plans established in the capacity all play an essential role in assessing and preparedness phase of the cycle. determining the potential impacts of a certain ❖ Immediately following a natural event that has hazard on the human system in a particular area. disaster potential, preliminary aid in the form of ▪ In connection with this, it becomes imperative to food, water, sanitation, and shelter is the main reduce the exposure and vulnerability of objective in this phase, but equally important communities to natural hazards while enhancing could also be aid in the form of minor structural their capacity to cope at the same time. repairs. DISASTER MANAGEMENT RECOVERY ❖ There is no gold standard method for managing ❖ The recovery phase brings order to the shocked a natural disaster. system swirling in entropy. ❖ Total prevention of all disasters is not possible; ❖ The initial needs of water, shelter, sanitation, and however, the goal of management strategists food addressed in the response phase are further following a disaster is to help as many established through activities, programs, and people as possible using the resources available. initiatives to provide stability and foundation for ❖ Learning from past experiences, as well as those uprooted. learning from other communities is imperative ❖ Beyond on the physical aid, recovery plans contain in reducing the impact of future disasters. efforts to cope with the economic and social strife ❖ Many countries have developed emergency resulting from the disaster. management strategies to cope with broad-range ❖ Loss of life can create devastating consequences unforeseeable events, including natural disasters for broken families long after the events of the as each country or jurisdiction may have different disaster; therefore, programs must be in place to management strategies for each type of provide social support for those affected. emergency. Disaster Cycle PREVENTION/MITIGATION ❖ Full prevention of a disaster is highly unlikely, but steps can be taken to prevent small hazards from becoming disasters (prevention) or reduce  the impact and devastation resulting from a disaster (mitigation). ❖ WHO suggests proper hazard and vulnerability assessments be done during this phase to identify key areas that could potentially create a disastrous situation (Wisner and Adam, 2002). ❖ An example of prevention measures would be building levees to prevent high-flowing rivers from flooding while mitigation could be an effective warning system. Disaster Cycle Example PREPAREDNESS ❖ The objective of disaster preparedness is to ensure that a community has the capability of bringing a DISASTER RESILIENCE & APPLICATION OF system in turmoil from recovery to sustained DISASTER MANAGEMENT development (World Health Organization, 1995). ❖ Is important that this phase integrates the DISASTER RESILIENCE assessment strategies from the prevention and What is resilience? mitigation phase to ensure readiness for a Over the years, several definitions of resilience in plethora of possible hazards. relation to disaster risk have been developed by ❖ Governmental policies are examples of activities many organizations and institutions and accepted that propel a community into disaster by many. Here are the following examples: preparedness (Wisner and Adam, 2002). ❖ Legislation at the local and national level with well-established goals can substantially improve the response of a disaster. ❖ Examples of such policy include initiating public education programs focusing on informing the community about evacuation procedures, first aid, family emergency plans, as well as available resources. According to the definitions given above, resilience is the community's ability to reduce their vulnerability and exposure to hazards, strengthen defenses against hazards, and completely prevent the occurrence of a disaster. If a calamity cannot be prevented, its effects will be limited in terms of cost and destruction. Aspects of Resilience Resilience is broad and multidimensional. The literature identified the following facets of human systems where we need to build resilience (Sharifi, 2016; Cutter, 2016): ✓ Physical - whether structures can withstand It is crucial to remember that each of the hazards or be rebuilt with little to no resilience's previously mentioned components additional cost. influences and depends on the others. ✓ Social - the ability of individuals, people For instance, the economic and livelihood groups, or entities to tolerate, absorb, cope activities of farmers, their families, and produce with, and adjust to environmental and social vendors will be impacted if a particular disaster threats of various kinds. like a drought, affects the ecological o Cultural - refers to how communities environment. prepare, act, and respond to disasters, Another example is how social resilience is reduce their exposure, and implement impacted when physical infrastructure, such as the necessary changes to adapt to risks, communications and transportation systems, is including the impacts of climate change. destroyed by earthquakes. This is because people cannot visit and communicate with friends and family, which is essential for fostering and sustaining social resilience. Other Terms Related to Resilience ✓ Capacity: combined strengths and resources that enable communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. This includes both tangible (supplies) and intangible (skills) resources. o Coping capacity: the ability to face and ✓ Economic - whether a government, business, manage disasters. or community can absorb financial losses due o Capacity to respond: a system's ability to to disaster. handle disruptions or challenges. Three ✓ Ecological - the capacity of an ecosystem to factors determine this effectiveness: absorb shocks and disturbances while exposure (intensity of the shock or retaining its structure, function, and stress), sensitivity (susceptibility to the adaptability. It encompasses nature’s ability impact), and adaptive capacity (ability to recover from disruptions, resist to adjust and learn afterwards). degradation, and adapt to changing conditions. ✓ Institutional - the capability of government units, agencies and organizations to continue to function or to return immediately to their normal processes and activities after hazard events interrupt them. o Health - the ability of a health system to mitigate, adapt to, and recover from ✓ Reaction: The way a system responds to a shocks and stresses. disruption, characterized by varying degrees of resilience (Datta & Mahjabeen, 2016). o Reactions can be positive, with the system emerging stronger ("bounce back better") or returning to its pre-disruption state ("bounce back"). o Alternatively, reactions can be negative, with the system recovering partially ("recover, but worse than before") or collapsing entirely. ✓ Adaptation: process or action that changes a living thing so that it is better able to survive in a new environment. ✓ Transformation: if the coping strategies are not adequate to deal with disaster risk, there is a need to transform or shift pathways or have the capacity to shift into new pathways and cross thresholds. Note: It is important to note that building resilience APPLICATION OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT requires implementing strategies that account for all types of resilience so as not to enhance one component Global Sustainable Development Goals at the expense of another (UNDRR, 2017). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the Ways to Build Resilience United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action ✓ One of the ways to build resilience is to reduce to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure the disaster risk faced by communities through that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. systematic efforts to analyze and manage the The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that causal factors of disasters, including action in one area will affect outcomes in through reduced exposures to hazards, lessened others, and that development must balance social, vulnerability of people and property, wise economic and environmental sustainability. management of land and the environment, Disaster risk reduction cuts across different and improved preparedness for adverse aspects and sectors of development. There events (RA 10121). are 25 targets related to disaster risk reduction in ✓ This can be done by employing different risk 10 of the 17 sustainable development goals, reduction and management strategies, such as the firmly establishing the role of disaster risk following: reduction as a core development strategy. 1. Risk characterization (studying what hazard and types of hazards are affecting the community, and its characteristics and processes) 2. Scope potential impacts of risks to human system (assessing exposure, vulnerability, and capacity) 3. Determination and identification of intervention to manage disaster risk with a focus on the following four pillars of DRRM (NDRRMC, 2020): ✓ Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere 1.5 By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters ✓ Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Risk-informed Development for Resilience 9.1 Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and Building resilient infrastructure, including regional and ✓ Planning is the quintessential tool for building transborder infrastructure, to support resilience. Planning systems inherently involve economic development and human well-being, making decisions that balance and integrate with a focus on affordable and equitable access considerations for people, culture, the for all. economy, and both the natural and built Target 9.a: Facilitate sustainable and resilient environments (New South Wales Department of infrastructure development in developing Planning, Industry and Environment, 2021). countries through enhanced financial, ✓ According to Dr. Lagmay (2017) disasters are technological and technical support to African manifestations of unresolved problems of countries, least developed countries, development, and if development plans are not landlocked developing countries and small adequately formulated, the impacts of natural island development states. and man-made hazards have the potential to hinder the progress of the nation. Sendai Framework The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) was the first major agreement of the post-2015  development agenda and provides Member States with concrete actions to protect development gains from the risk of disaster. It is the outcome of stakeholder consultations initiated in March 2012 and inter- governmental negotiations held from July 2014 to March 2015, which were supported by the UNDRR upon the request of the UN General Assembly. UNDRR is tasked to support the implementation, follow- up and review of the Sendai Framework. It recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk, but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders including local government, the private sector and other stakeholders. The Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.” Philippines Republic Act No. 10121 AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE PHILIPPINE Overview/Common Ground DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, PROVIDING FOR THE NATIONAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK AND INSTITUTIONALIZING THE NATIONAL DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. This Act shall be known as the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010”. Adopt a disaster risk reduction and Prohibited Act Under RA 10121 management approach that is holistic, (a) Dereliction of duties which leads to destruction, comprehensive, integrated, and proactive in loss of lives, critical damage of facilities and misuse lessening the socioeconomic and environmental of fund impacts of disasters including climate change, (b) Preventing the entry and distribution of relief and promote the involvement and participation goods in disaster-stricken areas, including of all sectors and all stakeholders concerned, at appropriate technology, tools, equipment, all levels, especially the local community accessories, disaster teams/experts; The Act shifted the policy environment and the (c) Buying, for consumption or resale, from disaster way the country deals with disasters from mere relief agencies any relief goods, equipment or response to preparedness (Grantham Research other and commodities which are intended for Institute, 2024). distribution to disaster affected communities; RA 10121 provides a comprehensive, all-hazard, (d) Buying, for consumption or resale, from the multi-sectoral, inter-agency, and community- recipient disaster affected persons any relief based approach to disaster risk management goods, equipment or other aid commodities through the formulation of the National Disaster received by them; Risk Management Framework. (e) Selling of relief goods, equipment or other aid Moreover, the Act mandates the establishment of a commodities which are intended for distribution Disaster Risk Reduction and Management to disaster victims; Office (DRRMO) in every province, city and (f) Forcibly seizing relief goods, equipment or other municipality, and a Barangay Disaster Risk aid commodities intended for or consigned to a Reduction and Management Committee specific group of victims or relief agency; (BDRRMC) in every barangay. (g) Diverting or misdelivery of relief goods, Finally, RA 10121 provides for the calamity fund equipment or other aid commodities to persons to be used in support of disaster risk reduction or other than the rightful recipient or consignee; mitigation, prevention, and preparedness (h) Accepting, possessing, using or disposing relief activities for the potential occurrence of disasters goods, equipment or other aid commodities not and not just for response, relief, and rehabilitation intended for nor consigned to him/her; efforts. (i) Misrepresenting the source of relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities by: 1. Either covering, replacing or defacing the labels of the containers to make it appear that the goods, equipment or other aid commodities came from another agency or persons; 2. Repacking the goods, equipment or other aid commodities into containers with different markings to make it appear that the goods came from another agency or persons or was released upon the instance of a particular agency or persons, 3. Making false verbal claim that the goods, equipment or other and commodity mits untampered original containers actually came from another agency or persons upon the instance of a particular agency or persons; (j) Substituting or replacing relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities with the same items or inferior/cheaper quality, (k) Illegal solicitations by persons or organizations representing others as defined in the standards and guidelines set by the NDRRMC; (l) Deliberate use of false at inflated data in support of the request for funding, relief goods, equipment or other aid commodities for emergency assistance or livelihood projects; and (m) Tampering with or stealing hazard monitoring and disaster preparedness equipment and paraphernalia.