Disaster Risk

Reduction &
Manageme
nt
Objectives:
At the end of the module, NSTP students must be able to:
a. define and explain the terms related to disaster risk reduction;
b. identify and describe the disasters that the Philippines are likely to suffer
from;
c. read and understand Republic Act 10121 or the National Risk Reduction and
Management Council; and
d. Demonstrate at least one first aid technique.
Discussions
Disaster and emergency preparedness are both civic and
security issues that we need to be empowered on, so that we
will know what to do during disasters and how we will be able
to help as well. Likewise, it is our obligation to help the
government in the reduction of risks, or the possible
consequences of disasters.
A. Understanding Disaster
Disaster is a natural or man-made (technological) tragic
event which may result to physical damages or destruction, loss
of life, or drastic change to environment.
Two Types of Disaster
a. Natural Disaster is a consequence when natural hazards or
phenomena like earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions,
floods and cyclones affect and result to loss among humans and
environment.
b. Man-made Disasters are consequence of technological or
human hazards, intentional or otherwise or due to human
negligence. This can be in the form of stampedes, fires, transport
accidents, industrial accidents, oil spills and nuclear
explosions/radiation, war and deliberate attacks.
 The resulting loss of both natural and man-made disaster
depends on the capacity of the population to support or resist
the disaster, or now commonly called “community resilience”.
Disasters are seen as the consequence of inappropriately
managed risks.
Disaster risks are a combination of both hazards and
vulnerability. The call is to reduce the risks in identified disaster-
prone areas, thus DISASTER REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT
AWARENESS.
Hazards are any phenomena that have the potential to cause
disruption or damage to humans and their environment, or
events or occurrences that have the potential for causing injury
to life, property and environment.
Disaster management refers to the range of activities designed
to maintain control over disaster and emergency situation and to
provide a framework for helping persons at risk to avoid or
recover from the impact of the disaster.

Disaster preparedness is a condition where organizations

and communities are equipped with education, training and
physical and emotional resilience during disaster.
Preparedness lessens the risks or reduces the damage
caused by natural hazards like earthquakes, floods,
droughts and cyclones.
B. Disasters that the Philippines is Likely to Suffer From

Earthquake is a feeble shaking to violent trembling of the

ground produced by the sudden displacement of rocks or
rock materials below the earth’s surface. Tectonic
earthquakes are generated by the sudden displacement
along faults in the solid and rigid layer of the earth. Volcanic
earthquakes are induced by rising magma beneath active
volcanoes.
The Philippines as an Earthquake-Prone Country

Image from isinay-bird.blogspot.com

 The Philippine archipelago lies between two major
tectonic plates, the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian
Plate. The Philippine Sea Plate is being sub ducted westward
along the Philippine Trench at the eastern side of the
Philippines. The Eurasian plate is being sub ducted along the
Manila Trench, Negros-Sulu Trench and the Cotabato Trench
at the Western side of the country except in Southern
Mindanao and Western Panay, where collision takes place.
Active faults traverse the archipelago, the longest of which
is the Philippine Fault Zone. Subduction of plates along the
trenches and movements along active faults are responsible
for the present-day high seismicity of the Philippines.
 For the last 400 years, the Philippines has been
affected by 90 damaging earthquakes. Hence, the likelihood
of destructive earthquakes occurring again in the future is
indeed very strong. Around 20 earthquakes per day occur in
the Philippines, most of which are not felt. About two
hundred earthquakes are felt every year.
Hazards Posed by Earthquakes

1. Ground shaking
2. Liquefaction
3. Landslides
4. Ground rupture
5. Tsunami

Tsunami is a series of small to giant sea waves commonly

generated by under-the-sea earthquakes and whose heights
called tidal waves and are sometimes mistakenly associated
with storm surges. Tsunamis can occur when the earth is
shallow seated and strong enough to displace parts of the
seabed and disturb the mass of water over it.
 The coastal areas in the Philippines, especially those
facing the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, Sulu Sea, and
Celebes Sea, can be affected by tsunamis that may be
generated by local earthquakes. But we can also be affected
by far-field tsunamis, or those coming from other countries
bordering the Pacific Ocean like Chile, Alaska in the USA, and
Japan. Travel times for tsunamis generated in distant
locations are longer (1 to 24 hours) and will generally give
enough time for warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Center (PTWC) and Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory
Center (NWPTAC).
 Natural Signs of a Local Tsunami

1. You would feel the ground or earth shaking (earthquake)

2. Unusual sea level changes occur. There is sudden retreat or
rise of sea water.
3. Rumbling sound of approaching waves is audible.
 Volcanic Eruption

1990 Mt. Pinatubo pyroclastic flow. Image from www.rainer-olzem.de

The Philippine sits on a unique tectonic setting ideal to

volcano formation. The archipelago is surrounded by sub
ducting plates, as manifested by the trenches that are
related to volcano formation.
 Classification of Volcanoes

1. Active volcanoes are those which,

 Erupted within historical times (within the last 6000 years). Accounts of these
eruptions were documented by man;
 Erupted within the last 10,000 years based on analyses of datable materials.

2. Potentially active volcanoes, are morphologically young-looking but with no historical

records of eruption.

3. Inactive volcanoes are those which,

 Have no record of eruptions;
 Have a physical form that is being changed by agents of weathering and erosion via
the formation of deep and long gullies.
 VOLCANO PROVINCE NUMBER OF LAST
HISTORICAL ERUPTION
ERUPTIONS
Mayon Albay 49 2009
Taal Batangas 33 1977
Bulusan Sorsogon 17 2010-2011
Kanlaon Negros Oriental 26 2006
Pinatubo Boundaries of 2 1992
Pampanga,
Tarlac and
Zambales
Hibok-hibok Camiguin 5 1948
 Tropical Cyclone

Image of Yolanda (Super Typhoon Haiyan) from www.bbc.com

“Bagyo” is an intense low-pressure system with minimum sustained winds of 35

kilometers per hour (kph). A yearly average of 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine
Area of Responsibility (PAR) and 90% of these affect the country. Hazards due to
tropical cyclones are strong winds with heavy rainfall that can cause widespread
flooding/flashfloods, storm surges, landslides and mudflows.
 Classification of Tropical Cyclones

Tropical cyclones are classified according to their strength and are determined by the
speed of the maximum sustained winds near the center

 Tropical Depression - 35 kph to 63 kph

 Tropical Storm - 64 kph to 117 kph
 Typhoon - more than 118 kph
 Super typhoon - more than 220 kph

Flood is due to water overflowing from streams and other bodies of water, as well as
by the rainwater by drainage. Floods can cause severe damages to lives and
properties.

Flood /Flooding/Inundation – is a great flow of water that rises and spreads over the
land when a volume of water from lakes/streams/rivers exceeds its carrying capacity
and escapes from its unusual boundaries.
 Types of Floods – Flooding can be classified based on
the following criteria:

 Based on location or place of occurrence

a. River Flooding
b. Coastal Flooding
c. Urban Flooding

 Based on duration of occurrence

a. Flash Flooding
b. Sheet Flooding
Causes of Flooding

Floods are due to the complex combination of weather, climatic and human activities:

1. Heavy, continuous rain that does not cease, or ceases only briefly
2. Meandering river system
3. Heavy siltation of the river system, which could decrease the carrying capacity of the
river
4. Dam spilling/over topping of dikes and levees
5. Unusually high coastal and estuarine waters due to storm surges
6. Damning – sudden discharge of floodwater with accompanying debris materials,
including trees, rocks, soil, etc.
7. To a certain extent, astronomically influenced phenomena such as high tides coinciding
with the occurrence of heavy rainfall
Causes of Flooding

Aggravating factors:

- Presence of informal settlers

- Increasing population
- Increasing level of urbanization
- Altering the ecological system in a river basin, which could have an impact on the
hydrology of the watershed
- Denudation of forests and watershed areas
Storm surge is a sudden rise in sea level above normal, causing big waves as a
tropical cyclone approaches the coast. The highest water level rise or the peak of a
storm surge usually happens at the same time there is a passage of a typhoon
across a coastline. The stronger the tropical cyclone, the lower the atmospheric
pressure; the shallower the coast, the higher the surge will be. A storm surge can
sweep the coastline, and can extend several kilometers inland.

Thunderstorm is a violent local atmospheric disturbance accompanied by lightning,

thunder, and heavy rain, often with strong gusts of wind and sometimes by hail.
The typical thunderstorm is 5 kilometers in diameter and lasts an average of 30
minutes, but the more severe ones may last much longer. When compared with
tropical cyclones, thunderstorms affect relatively small areas but all thunderstorms
are dangerous.

People who are outdoors (especially under or near tall trees, in isolated sheds or
near hilltops) are at risk from lightning. Also in danger are people in automobiles
when flash flooding occurs near them.

Tornado is described as a violently rotating column of air extending from a

thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes come in many sizes but are typically in the
form of a visible condensation funnel whose narrow end touches the earth and is
often encircled by a cloud of debris.
A tornado acts like a giant vacuum cleaner, sucking and carrying objects – such as
trees, structures, or debris – aloft on its path and jumping across the ground in a
narrow erratic movement.

It can strike any time of the day but does so more frequently in the afternoon –
when the temperature is at its highest – and in the evening. It may also develop
when there are tropical cyclones.

Landslide is the downward and outward movement of slope material composed of

rocks and/or soil. This event is generally triggered by prolonged heavy rainfall or by
earthquakes. A number of factors contribute to the occurrence of landslides. These
include the high degree of weathering and fracturing of rocks, steep configuration
of slope, deforestation, and the overloading of slope surfaces following the
construction of heavy structures.
 PHILIPPINE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT ACT OR REPUBLIC
ACT 10121 reorganized the National Disaster Coordinating Council, or now called the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMC). The council is
empowered with policy-making, coordination, integration, supervision, monitoring
and evaluation of disaster risk reduction programs of the government.

RA10121 acknowledged that there is a need to “adopt a disaster risk reduction and
management approach that is holistic, comprehensive, integrated, and proactive in
lessening the socio-economic and environmental impacts of disasters including climate
change, and promote the involvement and participation of all sectors and all stakeholders
concerned, at all levels, especially the local community.”