Disaster and Disaster Risk Concepts

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, vulnerability types, hazard categories, and hazard analysis tools from lecture notes.

World Risk Index (WRI)

An index according to which the Philippines is identified as most prone to risk, experiencing around 20 typhoons per year.

Disaster

A disruption of the functioning of a community or society.

Disaster Risk

The probability of danger to disrupt a community or society, expressed as $\text{Disaster Risk} = \text{Hazard} + \text{Vulnerability} + \text{Exposure}$.

Hazard

A possibility of danger, defined as potentially damaging physical events, phenomena, or human activities.

Exposure

The presence of a hazard based on location.

Vulnerability

Conditions that represent the susceptibility of a community to suffer based on the strength and weakness of its infrastructure.

Conventional Approach

A disaster management approach that only takes action after the disaster happens, focusing on its aftermath.

Proactive Approach

A disaster risk reduction approach that focuses on preparing ahead of time.

Physical and Environmental Vulnerability

A type of vulnerability referring to the human-made environment, including structures, buildings, and infrastructure.

Social Vulnerability

A type of vulnerability referring to the susceptibility of the population based on educational attainment, presence of PWDs, knowledge, and awareness.

Economic Vulnerability

A type of vulnerability related to assets, resources, sources of livelihood, household incomes, and market access to goods.

Capacity

A community's strength that can be mobilized to aid recovery from disasters.

Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR)

The region entered by 19 to 20 typhoons every year due to the location of the Philippines in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Natural Hazards

Potentially damaging physical events or phenomena that are beyond human control.

Hydro-meteorological and Climatological Hazards

Water- and weather-related natural hazards, including El Niño, La Niña, floods, storm surges, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and typhoons.

Geologic Hazards

Land-based hazards caused by the movement of the Earth's crust, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis.

Biological Hazards

Microscopic organisms or biological substances, such as bacteria, parasites, viruses, molds, yeast, prions, and other living organisms.

Prion

A biological substance defined as a protein molecule that can act as a biological hazard.

Human-Induced Hazards

Hazards caused by human accidents, carelessness, or activities, such as fires, industrial and technological hazards, and high-risk recreations.

Human-Planned Hazards

Hazards planned by people for personal or political interest that cause massive loss of lives and properties, including arson, terrorism, and wars.

Hazard Analysis

The identification, study, and monitoring of any hazard to determine its potential, origin, characteristics, and behavior.

Factor Analysis

A hazard analysis tool that describes hazard characteristics, specifically frequency, duration, speed of onset, intensity, probability, forewarning, and manageability.