UNDERSTANDING the NATURE of HAZARDS

and DISASTERS

UNDERSTANDING the UNDERSTANDING the

NATURE of HAZARDS NATURE of HAZARDS

and DISASTERSand DISASTERS

Lucille Rose C. del MonteGeologic Disaster Awareness and Preparedness Division

PHIVOLCS23 April 2008

School Teachers’ Seminar-Training on Natural HazardsAwareness and Preparedness

HAZARD

An event that brings danger which may cause damage to properties and can hurt man.

Types of Hazards

Natural Natural

•• earthquakesearthquakes

•• volcanic eruptionsvolcanic eruptions

•• droughtdrought

•• floodingflooding

•• typhoonstyphoons

Man MadeMan Made

•• industryindustry--related related

(oil spills, toxic waste(oil spills, toxic waste

contamination, contamination,

pollution, etc.)pollution, etc.)

What is a Natural Hazard?

- naturally-occurring process or event which has a potential threat to humans and their welfare

• threat to human-Injury-loss of life-disease and stress

• threat to human’s welfare-property damage-economic loss-pollution-loss of amenity

NATURAL HAZARDS

-- naturally occurring phenomenanaturally occurring phenomena which which

are potential dangers to life and propertyare potential dangers to life and property

-- cannot be prevented but occurrence cancannot be prevented but occurrence can

be be “anticipated”“anticipated” or or “predicted”“predicted”

-- adverse impacts can be avoided, prevented adverse impacts can be avoided, prevented

and mitigatedand mitigated

e.g. earthquakes, volcanic activities, tropical e.g. earthquakes, volcanic activities, tropical

cyclones and storm surges cyclones and storm surges

Tectonic setting and geographic location of the Philippines makes it prone to natural hazards

• Meteorological Hazards

– Thunderstorms– Drought– Heat wave/cold wave– Hail storms– Tropical cyclones (typhoon

(cyclone/hurricane)

– Storm surge– Heavy rains/floods– Tornadoes

Natural Hazards can be classified in many different ways and this is just one of the more popular ways in which hazards are classified:

• Hydrological Hazards- Flooding

Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters

• Geologic Hazards

– Landslides• Soil creep, rockfalls, coastal erosion

– Earthquakes• earthquakes are dangerous because they

strike without warning

– Volcanic eruptions• more than 500 active volcanoes in the world;

More than half of these volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire," a region that encircles the Pacific Ocean

• in an average year around 20-30 volcanoes actually erupt world-wide

• 22 active volcanoes in the Philippines

• Biological hazards

Forest Fires

• A disaster can be defined as an occurrence of widespread severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property with which a community cannot cope and during which the society undergoes severe disruption.

• Natural disasters are caused by natural hazards that result to great loss of life and/or property and create severe disruption to human activities.

What is a disaster?

NATURAL DISASTER

-- result of the impact of a natural hazardresult of the impact of a natural hazard

on a socioon a socio-- economic systemeconomic system

Natural

Hazards

Elements at Risk:

People,

Infrastructures, etc+

DISASTERhuman casualties

damages (infrastructures)

displaced population

economic loss (loss of

agricultural lands)

Photos from Worcester, 1912Taal Volcano Island

1911: 1,300 deaths

1965: 200 deaths

Casualties mainly fromdirect impact of surges: by gas suffocation withaccompanying shock waves;injuries by burns caused by hot sand and ash

TaalTaal VolcanoVolcano

16 July 1990 Earthquake

Post-eruption laharsafter the June 1991 eruptionof Pinatubo Volcano

Effects of Disasters

Each type of disaster can have a number of disruptive effects. These in turn cause generally predictable problems and needs.

Environmental •contamination, pollution, destruction of natural

(and human-intervened) environment

Health•diseases, malnutrition, famine, casualties, psychological

Socio-economic•damage to critical facilities and lifelines•damage to agricultural land and properties •disruption of transportation (and isolation of resources)

SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKEMagnitude 7.6, Depth = 10 km, 95 km NNE of Islabamad(October 8, 2005; 8:50:38 Pakistan time)

Perspective of the South Asia Earthquake

• Recent examples of devastating earthquakes in Asia

1990, Luzon-Philippines ~1280 dead1990, Western Iran ~ 40,000 dead1995, Kobe, Japan ~ 6,000 dead, damage $100 billion1999, Izmit, Turkey ~ 17,000 dead, 50,000 injured, damage

$12 billion1999, Taiwan ~ 2,300 dead, 8,700 injured2001, Bhuj, India ~ 20,000 dead, 167,000 injured,

$10 billion2003, Bam, Iran~ 30,000 dead2004, Sumatra, ~ 300,000 dead (TSUNAMI affected Indonesia,

Indonesia Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India,Myanmar, Maldives)

2005, South Asia ~80,000 dead (Pakistan, India)

SOME DESTRUCTIVE EARTHQUAKES IN THE PHILIPPINES

0.515

($10 million)

22,45243083Nov 1994

MindoroEarthquake

(+Tsunami)

12.226

($244 million)

227,9182,7861,283Jul 1990

Luzon Earthquake

0.276

($5.5 Million)

12,0008,0003,700Aug 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake

(+ Tsunami)

COST OF DAMAGE

(Billion PhP)

FAMILY

AFFECTED

INJUREDDEADDATE

Earthquakes may cause significant impact to life, property and economy

risk assessments, plans, risk assessments, plans,

arrangements, training & arrangements, training &

exercisesexercises

disaster / disaster /

emergencyemergency

situation situation

stabilizedstabilized

no longer direct threat to no longer direct threat to

life/safety and propertylife/safety and property

“healing”, repair, “healing”, repair,

reconstruction & reconstruction &

recoveryrecovery

mostly back mostly back

to normalto normal

hazard/risk hazard/risk

analysisanalysis

reduce risk, reduce risk,

vulnerability & vulnerability &

hazardhazard

vulnerability vulnerability

reducedreduced

Mitigation

Rehabilitation Response

NDCC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORKNDCC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

Preparedness

MITIGATION

Structural and non-structural measures undertaken to limit the adverse impact of natural hazards, environmental degradation and technological hazards

NON-STRUCTURAL

�HAZARD/RISK IDENTIFICATION & ASSESSMENT

�ENFORCEMENT

�INTEGRATING/MAINSTREAMING

�DEVELOPING EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

STRUCTURAL

�BUILDING DIKE

�BREAKWATER/SEA WALLS

PREPAREDNESS

Activities and measures taken in advance to ensure appropriate and effective response during and following the impact of hazards

�PLANNING

�ADVOCACY

�EDUCATION & TRAINING

�RESOURCES

RESPONSE

Provision of assistance or intervention during or immediately after a disaster to meet the life preservation and basic subsistence needs of those people affected

�EARLY WARNING

�NOTIFICATION

�SEARCH AND RESCUE

�THE “GOLDEN HOUR” PRINCIPLE

REHABILITATION

Measures taken to restore affected communities/areas to their proper or normal level of functioning or actual condition prior to the occurrence of the disaster or calamity

SHORT TERM

�Restoring necessary lifeline systems (power, communication, water & sewage, transportation, etc.)

�Providing for basic human needs (food, clothing, shelter)

�Monitoring law and order

LONG TERM

�Restoring economic activity

�Rebuilding community facilities and housing

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you

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