Risk Factors Underlying Disasters

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers the fundamental elements of disaster risk, specific risk factors including climate change and weak governance, and the social/economic impacts of disasters as detailed in the lecture transcript.

Risk Factors

Processes or conditions, often development-related, that influence the level of disaster risk by increasing levels of exposure and vulnerability or reducing capacity.

Exposure

The elements at risk from a natural or man-made hazard event.

Hazard

A potentially dangerous physical occurrence, phenomenon or human activity that may result in loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation.

Vulnerability

The condition determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazard.

Climate Change (UNFCCC definition)

The change that can be attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.

Severity of exposure

A measure where those who experience disaster first-hand have the highest risk of future mental problems, followed by rescue workers, and lastly those only aware through news.

Environmental Degradation

A risk factor that is both a driver and consequence of disasters, reducing the capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological needs.

Globalized Economic Development

A factor resulting in increased polarization between the rich and poor on a global scale while increasing the exposure of assets in hazard-prone areas.

Poverty and Inequality

A cause and consequence of disaster risk where impoverished people are more likely to live in hazard-exposed areas and are less able to invest in risk-reducing measures.

Poorly planned and Managed Urban Development

Risk created when urbanization is rapid and occurs in a context of widespread poverty, concentrating people and economic activities in high-risk exposure areas.

Weak Governance

Investment environments in which public sector actors are unable or unwilling to assume their roles and responsibilities in protecting rights and providing basic services.

Disaster Risk Governance

The specific arrangements that societies put in place to manage their disaster risk within a broader context of risk governance.

PHIVOLCS

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology; a service institute of the DOST mandated to mitigate disasters from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

Ring of Fire

A vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Most Stressed-Out Age Range

According to the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), adults in the age range of 40-60 are most stressed after disasters.