Nature and Effects of Disaster Notes

Types of Disasters

  • There are two main types of disasters:
    • Natural disasters
    • Man-made disasters

Natural Disasters

  • Examples include:
    • Earthquakes
    • Tsunamis
    • Pandemic flu outbreaks
    • Tornadoes
  • Often strike without warning.
  • Preparation involves reviewing the history of the region and past disasters.
  • Some natural disasters, like typhoons, provide enough warning for preparation and evacuation.
    • Example: Typhoon Odette in 2021

Man-Made Disasters

  • Include disasters caused by human actions:
    • Acts of bioterrorism
    • Hijackings
    • War
  • Some occur with warning, such as a weak dam that could break.
  • Many are the result of unexpected accidents or deliberate acts:
    • Oil tanker running aground
    • Power plant explosions
    • War

Effects of Disasters

Human Problems

  • Physical injury
  • Mental health problems
  • Illness and disease
  • Loss of life
  • Forced migration

Public Health Problems

  • Poor sanitation
    • Limited access to clean drinking water
    • Inadequate wastewater disposal
  • Increased breeding grounds for infectious and emerging diseases
  • Limited or lack of life-saving medications

Damage to Infrastructure

  • Collapsed or damaged facilities:
    • Bridges
    • Buildings
    • Hospitals
    • Housing
    • Irrigation systems
    • Ports
    • Power supplies
    • Roads
    • Schools
    • Sewage systems
    • Telecommunications

Environmental Problems

  • Destruction of animal habitats
  • Environmental pollution
  • Ozone layer depletion
  • Environmental degradation
  • Loss of biodiversity
  • Climate change
  • Acid rain

Economic Problems

  • Economic shutdown
  • Bankruptcy
  • Loss of labor
  • Loss of assets
  • Loss of properties

Human Aspects Affected by Disaster

Physical

  • Earthquakes: Falling objects, sharp objects, and intense ground shaking can cause physical injury.
  • Contaminated floodwater: Bacteria can enter the body through wounds or cuts, causing illness.

Emotional

  • Negative emotions triggered by negative situations.
  • Disasters can cause lingering negative emotions even after the situation improves.

Psychological

  • Extreme negative conditions can cause psychological effects:
    • Mental stress
    • Trauma
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder

Socio-Cultural

  • Disasters can bring out the best in people through their habits, traditions, beliefs, and values.
  • Filipino "bayanihan spirit": Mutual support in a community during a disaster.
  • Community members participate in cleaning, rebuilding, and providing care.

Political

  • Disasters can affect people politically through:
    • Projects
    • Policies
    • Regulations
    • Laws implemented to cope with damage.
  • Government actions during a pandemic:
    • Community lockdowns
    • Restrictions on activities (travels, social gatherings, church services, schools, public transportation, shopping, restaurants, hotels)

Economic

  • Buying and selling are interrupted.
  • Businesses rely on production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services.
  • Examples:
    • Earthquake destroying roads disrupts food distribution.
    • Disease outbreak in pigs affects pork consumption and livelihoods.

Biological

  • Emergence of disease-causing agents:
    • Viruses
    • Bacteria
    • Protozoa
    • Parasites
    • Fungi
  • Survival of certain animals in contaminated areas, such as insects that can cause illness.

Disaster Perspectives

Physical Perspectives

  • Observable objects in buildings/infrastructure:
    • Durability of building
    • Availability of fire exits
    • Presence or absence of important objects that help or harm.

Psychological Perspectives

  • Mental capacity and health of an individual to deal with disasters.
  • Points of consideration:
    • Age
    • Perception
    • Self-capacity

Socio-Cultural Perspectives

  • People’s beliefs, religion, traditions, social status, and perceptions within a community concerning their response to disaster.

Economic Perspectives

  • Income, assets and liabilities, and economic class of an individual or a community.

Political Perspectives

  • Structure of the government, issues in diplomacy, etc., in dealing with disasters.

Biological Perspectives

  • Role of flora (plants) and fauna (animals) in the environment, diseases, health, etc.