Definition of Terms in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions of key terms in disaster risk reduction, crisis management, emergency preparedness, and climate change.

AGENCY/IES

An administrative unit, department, or organization established by a government, non-governmental entity, or international body to perform specific functions or administer programs.

ANALYSIS

The systematic examination of information, data, or processes to understand their elements, underlying relationships, and implications.

ASSETS

The physical, economic, environmental, social, or human resources owned or accessed by individuals, communities, or institutions that support their functioning and resilience.

ASSESSMENT

The process of collecting, measuring, and evaluating data to determine status, risks, impacts, or needs within a specific context or system.

CAPACITY BUILDING

The development or strengthening of skills, knowledge, resources, and structures in individuals, communities, or organizations to increase their ability to perform functions and solve problems effectively.

CHALLENGE

A demanding task, obstacle, or condition that tests abilities, resources, or the stability of a system.

CLIMATE

The long-term pattern, average, and variability of weather conditions (such as temperature, precipitation, and wind) over a specific region, typically measured across 30 years.

CLIMATE CHANGE

A statistically significant change in the state of the climate—driven by natural processes or human activity—that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION

Adjustments in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, aimed at moderating harm or exploiting beneficial opportunities.

CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY

The degree to which a system, community, or asset is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, the adverse effects of climate change and extreme weather events.

COMMITMENT

An obligation, agreement, or dedicated pledge made by an entity or individual to follow a specific course of action or allocate resources toward a target.

COMMUNICATION

The exchange, sharing, and dissemination of information, signals, or operational orders among individuals, agencies, or stakeholders.

COMMUNITY

A social group of people residing in a specific geographical area, sharing common interests, resources, cultural norms, or administrative boundaries.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS

The level of collective understanding, knowledge, and alertness among community members regarding local risks, resources, and safety procedures.

CONSEQUENCES

The direct or indirect outcome, result, or effect of an event, hazard impact, or decision on people, property, or systems.

CONTINGENCY PLAN/S

A documented management strategy designed to prepare for, respond to, and handle potential emergency events or unexpected operational disruptions.

COPING CAPACITY

The ability of people, organizations, and systems to use available resources and skills to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies, or disasters.

CREATIVITY

The ability to generate novel, useful, and adaptive ideas, strategies, or solutions to address complex or unexpected problems.

CRISIS

An unstable, crucial, or decisive situation that threatens core operational goals, public safety, or institutional continuity and requires immediate intervention.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT CONCEPT

The foundational framework and strategic vision that guides an organization's overall approach to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from severe incidents.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN

An operational blueprint outlining standard procedures, command chains, resource allocations, and action steps required to handle a severe crisis.

DAMAGE

The physical, functional, or economic harm, loss, or destruction sustained by structures, systems, assets, or natural environments due to an incident or hazard.

DECISION MAKING

The process of selecting a specific course of action from multiple alternatives based on available data, priority analysis, and risk assessment.

DISASTER

A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or society involving widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses that exceed the affected community's ability to cope using its own resources.

DISASTER PREVENTION

Measures and activities taken to completely avoid the potential adverse impacts of hazards and eliminate disaster risk.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

The systematic organization, planning, and application of measures to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of disasters.

DISASTER RISK

The potential loss of life, injury, destroyed assets, or disrupted services that could occur to a system, society, or community over a specific period, calculated as a function of hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and capacity.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Policy strategies and operational practices aimed at preventing new disaster risks, reducing existing disaster risks, and managing residual risks to strengthen resilience.

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

The systematic process of using administrative decisions, organization, operational skills, and capacities to implement policies and strategies to reduce disaster risks and impacts.

DISASTER MANAGER

An official or professional tasked with coordinating, planning, and leading disaster preparedness, response, mitigation, and recovery efforts across sectors and agencies.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN

A document outlining specific goals, strategies, operational procedures, and resource allocations designed to prevent new risks, reduce existing disaster risks, and strengthen response and recovery capabilities.

DESCRIPTION

A detailed account, statement, or representation outlining the characteristics, features, status, or processes of a system, event, or asset.

DISRUPTIONS

Disturbances, interruptions, or breakdowns that temporarily or permanently halt the normal functioning of a community, infrastructure, service, or organization.

DOCUMENTS

Recorded information, written materials, or official instruments—in physical or digital format—used to establish facts, store operational guidelines, or maintain evidentiary records.

EMERGENCY

An unforeseen event or sudden occurrence requiring immediate, coordinated action to prevent loss of life, injury, severe health impacts, or extensive property damage.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities and organizations reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

The knowledge, capacities, and operational readiness developed by governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to effectively anticipate, respond to, and recover from emergency situations.

ENVIRONMENT

The complex of physical, chemical, biological, and social factors—including ecosystems, natural resources, and built surroundings—in which humans and other organisms live and operate.

EVENTS

Occurrences, incidents, or phenomena taking place within a particular location during a specific period, which may be planned or unplanned, natural or human-induced.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

A computer-based system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and display spatial or geographically referenced data for risk mapping and planning.

HAZARDS

Dangerous phenomena, human activities, or conditions that may cause loss of life, injury, health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods, services, social disruption, or environmental damage.

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF

Assistance, supplies, medical care, and protection provided on an urgent, non-discriminatory basis to populations affected by disasters, conflicts, or acute crises.

DISASTER IDENTIFICATION

The systematic process of detecting, recognizing, assessing, and recording potential or manifest hazards, vulnerabilities, and disaster occurrences in a specific area.

INNOVATION

The introduction, adaptation, and application of new methods, technologies, processes, or ideas to solve complex challenges and improve operational effectiveness.

IMPLEMENTATION

The execution, enforcement, or carrying out of established plans, policies, strategies, or operational orders to achieve specific objectives.

IMPACT / IMPACT OF ANY RISK

The actual or potential negative consequences, adverse effects, or structural damages caused by the realization of a hazard or risk on individuals, assets, environments, and systems.

LAND USE PLANNING

The branch of public policy encompassing various disciplines which seek to order and regulate land use in an efficient, safe, and sustainable way to mitigate disaster risks and guide spatial development.

LEADER

An individual who guides, directs, influences, and directs teams, agencies, or communities toward achieving shared objectives, particularly during strategic planning and crisis operations.

LIVELIHOOD

The ensemble of capabilities, assets, skills, income generation, and activities required for individuals and households to secure the necessities of life.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS (LGUs)

Institutional administrative divisions of a nation state (such as provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays) empowered by law to exercise local governance, service delivery, and public safety functions.

MAN-MADE DISASTER

A serious disruption caused primarily by human actions, negligence, technological failures, industrial accidents, chemical spills, or complex socio-political emergencies.

MITIGATION

The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters through structural engineering, non-structural policies, and safety measures.

MONITORING

The continuous, systematic tracking and evaluation of processes, hazard indicators, program activities, or changing field conditions to ensure compliance and early warning.

MULTI-SECTORAL FOCUS

An operational approach that integrates multiple government agencies, civil society groups, private industries, and humanitarian partners to address complex issues comprehensively.

NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN

A comprehensive master framework established by a central government outlining operational protocols, inter-agency coordination, and national resource deployment during major emergencies.

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

The central authority of a sovereign state responsible for national policy, defense, overarching legal frameworks, and macro-level disaster coordination.

NATURAL DISASTERS

Catastrophic events resulting from natural hazard processes—such as earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, floods, and landslides—that exceed a community's capacity to cope.

ORGANIZATIONS

Formally structured groups or entities composed of individuals united by specific mandates, shared administrative functions, and operational goals.

OPERATIONS

The tactical execution of missions, emergency responses, administrative workflows, or logistics directed toward achieving defined situational goals.

OPERATIONAL SKILLS

Practical abilities, technical proficiencies, and tactical competencies required to execute tasks, command resources, and manage incident scenes efficiently.

PLANS

Formulated, documented schemes, courses of action, or procedural blueprints detailing the steps, resources, and timelines needed to achieve specific outcomes.

POLICIES

Formal rules, principles, guidelines, or frameworks adopted by an organization or government authority to direct decision-making and standard practices.

PREDICTION

The statement or calculation indicating that a specific event will occur in the future at a given time, location, and magnitude based on scientific modeling and data monitoring.

PRIORITIZATIONS

The systematic process of ranking tasks, risks, resource requests, or operational actions in order of urgency, importance, and safety impact.

PREPAREDNESS

The state of advance readiness of emergency systems, equipment, personnel, and populations to respond swiftly and effectively to disaster events.

PREVENTION

Outright avoidance of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters through targeted regulatory, structural, and social interventions.

PROACTIVE MEASURES

Preventive or pre-emptive actions taken in advance of an anticipated hazard or disruption to mitigate harm before an incident occurs.

PROACTIVE STRATEGIES

Long-term, forward-looking methodologies and systemic plans focused on anticipating risks, building structural resilience, and preventing emergency escalation.

PROFESSIONALISM

The adherence to high ethical standards, specialized competence, accountability, discipline, and respect required within public safety and governance roles.

PROGRAM

A structured, ongoing portfolio of related projects, initiatives, or services managed in a coordinated way to achieve long-term strategic objectives.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE

The mental and emotional condition of individuals or responders, particularly regarding stress, trauma, and psychological well-being during or after a disaster.

PUBLIC SERVICE CONTINUITY PLAN

A documented operational strategy that ensures an agency or government unit can maintain essential public services during and immediately following an emergency or disruption.

RA 10121

Republic Act No. 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which provides the legal framework for disaster risk management in the Philippines.

RECOVERY

The decisions and actions taken after a disaster with a view to restoring or improving the pre-disaster living conditions of the affected community while encouraging and facilitating necessary adjustments to reduce disaster risk.

RECONSTRUCTION

The medium- and long-term rebuilding and sustainable restoration of critical infrastructures, housing, and physical facilities damaged by a disaster.

RESEARCH

The systematic investigation and study of materials, data, hazards, and social patterns to establish facts, improve technologies, and reach new conclusions in risk management.

RESILIENCE

The ability of a system, community, or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform, and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner.

RESPONSE

The provision of emergency services and public assistance during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety, and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.

RESTORE

To return an affected system, service, ecosystem, or community to its original state or to a functional pre-disaster condition.

REVIEW

The critical re-examination and evaluation of plans, post-incident operations, and policies to identify gaps, lessons learned, and areas for improvement.

RISK MANAGEMENT CYCLES

The continuous, phased framework of disaster management consisting of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery/rehabilitation.

RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

The systematic application of management policies, procedures, and practices to the tasks of identifying, analyzing, evaluating, treating, monitoring, and communicating risk.

REHABILITATION

Measures that restore normal physical, social, economic, and environmental functions and services of an affected community after a disaster.

RISK

The combination of the probability of an event occurring and its negative consequences resulting from interactions between natural or human-induced hazards and vulnerable conditions.

RISK ASSESSMENT

A methodology to determine the nature and extent of risk by analyzing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that could pose a threat to people, property, livelihoods, and the environment.

STAKEHOLDERS

Individuals, groups, institutions, or communities that have an interest, involvement, or investment in disaster risk management policies and outcomes.

SOCIETY

An organized group of people associated together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, or economic purposes, sharing a common territory and subject to the same political authority.

STRATEGIES

High-level, long-term plans and systematic approaches designed to achieve specific disaster risk reduction goals and policy objectives.

SETTLEMENT PLANNING

The spatial design and regulatory planning of residential communities to ensure safe locations, proper land use, and adequate infrastructure resilient to natural hazards.

SOCIAL WELL-BEING

The state in which a community's basic human needs are met, including health, safety, social cohesion, equity, and access to essential social services.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, integrating economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection.

TECHNOLOGY

The practical application of scientific knowledge, tools, equipment, software, and systems to improve hazard monitoring, communication, and disaster management.

VULNERABILITY

The conditions determined by physical, social, economic, and environmental factors or processes which increase the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets, or systems to the impacts of hazards.

WORST SCENARIO

The most severe plausible combination of hazard intensity, environmental conditions, and system failures used for stress-testing emergency contingency plans.