DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (Disaster Risk Management) Definitions of Basic Terms

Key Terms in Disaster Risk Reduction HAZARD VULNERABILITY CAPACITY RISK CALAMITY CATASTOROPHE CATACLYSM

DISASTER Old French – Desastre – des = bad, aster = star, bad or evil star Italian – disastro Latin – dis + astrum Greek – astron (ASTRAL), a star; ill-starred

DISASTER A disaster is a serious disruption in the functioning of the community or a society causing widespread material, economic, social or environmental losses which exceed to the ability of the affected society to cope using its own resources.

Main Features of a Disaster unpredictability unfamiliarity speed urgency uncertainty threat

Disasters are as old as human history. Disasters, natural or man-made, are unwelcome guests. The world has played unfortunate host to them innumerable times. Recent incidents indicate that disasters are increasing in both frequency and intensity.

DISASTER A disaster is a result from the combination of hazard, vulnerability and insufficient capacity or measures to reduce the potential chances of risk. Hazard = a source of danger Vulnerability = inadequate access to resources, sick and old people, extent of exposure to hazard impact

DISASTER Disaster occurs only when hazards and vulnerability meet. Disaster Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability Disaster Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability x Value (Value = anything of human value including life, property and/or livelihood) With greater capacity of the individual / community and environment to face the disasters, the impact of a hazard reduces. Disaster Risk = {(Hazard x Vulnerability) / (Capacity)}

Natural Disasters Slow onset Rapid onset Earthquakes Droughts Tsunamis Volcanic eruptions Cyclones / storms / hurricanes / typhoons Floods Landslides Avalanches Blizzards Wildfires Droughts Desertification Environmental degradation

Man-made Disasters Industrial accidents Mining accidents Transport accidents Fire accidents Nuclear accidents Crowd incidents (stampedes) Wars Conflicts Terrorism

Complex Emergencies Combination of war and conflict

HAZARD Old French – hasard Arabic – az-zahr Both mean ‘chance’ or ‘luck’. a dangerous condition or event threatens. has the potential for causing injury to life or damage to property or the environment.

HAZARD A hazard is a phenomenon that puts humans in a potentially dangerous and disadvantageous position.

HAZARDS Two categories: natural and man-made are always prevalent. A hazard becomes a disaster only when there is greater vulnerability and less capacity to cope with it.

VULNERABILITY It is the extent to which a community, structure, geographic area or service is likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impact of a particular hazard, on account of its nature, construction and proximity to hazardous terrain or a disaster-prone area.

VULNERABILITY Two categories: Physical vulnerability Socio-economic vulnerability

CAPACITY It entails resources, means, strengths, skills and knowledge. These factors exist in households and communities. These enable the people to cope with, withstand, prepare for, prevent, mitigate, or quickly recover from a disaster. Capacities could be Physical capacity or Socio-economic capacity.

RISK It is a measure of the expected losses due to a hazard event occurring in a given area over a specific time period. Risk is a function of the probability of a particular hazardous event and the losses it would cause. The frequency or likelihood of a hazard and the vulnerability of the community increase the risk of being severely affected.

RISK The level of risk depends on nature of the hazard, vulnerability of the elements which are affected, and economic value of those elements.

RISK Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability (conventional) Risk = Likelihood x Consequence Likelihood = probability, e.g. 15 %, 50 % or as frequency, e.g. 1 in 10,00,000 or 5 times a year. Consequence is a measure of the effect of the hazard on people or property.

Calamity, Catastrophe, Cataclysm Calamity suggests a grave misfortune that brings deep distress or sorrow to an individual or to the people at large. Catastophe is specifically applied to a disastrous end or outcome. Cataclysm suggests a great upheaval, especially a political or social one that causes sudden and violent change with attending distress, suffering etc.