Introduction to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM)
Fundamentals of Disaster Management
Disaster Management: A dynamic process involving planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling to prevent or recover from disasters.
Resilience: The capacity of a community to endure and recover from calamity through structural strength, citizen knowledge, and adaptability.
Hazard: Potential natural or human-induced threats to life, property, and the environment.
Disaster: The actual damage or impact occurring when a hazard hits a vulnerable community.
Vulnerability: A community's inherent weakness or lack of capacity to face or recover from damages.
Hazard Characteristics and Vulnerability Aspects
Hazard Attributes: Key variables include Frequency (rate of occurrence), Duration, Speed of onset, and Forewarning.
Material Vulnerability: Concepts by Anderson and Woodrow identifying lack of income, debt, and deficient basic services as indicators.
Behavioral Impact: Apathy or excessive dependence on government assistance heightens community vulnerability.
Impact Metrics:
Damage: Literal physical destruction (partial or total) of infrastructure and property.
Loss: Temporary or long-term disruption of production and services resulting from physical damage.
Management Approaches
Top-Down Approach: Centralized planning where higher offices dictate response; often criticized for being slow and unresponsive to local contexts.
Bottom-Up Approach: Emphasizes community participation and local responsibility.
Integrated Strategy: The most effective model is merging both approaches to combine government systems with local experience.
The Four Phases of DRRM
I. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation:
Involves Hazard Assessment and Historical Profiling to identify at-risk areas.
Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) measures weaknesses and assets.
Structural Mitigation includes physical interventions like building dikes.
II. Disaster Preparedness: Focuses on disseminating information and ensuring public understanding before and during hazards.
III. Disaster Response: Evaluates immediate needs, service losses, and physical damages during the crisis.
IV. Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery: Focuses on restoring infrastructure and livelihoods to return the community to normalcy.
Laws, Organizations, and Policies
Climate Change Act of 2009: Created the Climate Change Commission to coordinate climate-related programs.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): Obligates large companies to recover or process their plastic packaging waste.
DepEd Order No. 55 (2008): Established the Disaster Risk Reduction Resource Manual for public school curricula.
PAGASA: The official agency providing weather updates and signals, such as TCWS No. 4 for high-intensity winds.
Solid Waste Management Crisis: Recognized as a political and economic issue tied to rapid development and government service delivery capacity.