Modular Unit 4: Disaster Risk Reduction and Input No.

1: Overview of the Philippine Disaster

Management Management System

As an archipelago located at the south-eastern part Since the OCD and NDCC' creation, PD 1566 has
of Asia, the Philippines is exposed to both climatic been the basic law that, guides the disaster
and geological hazards. It is situated in the Pacific management programs, projects and strategies
Ring of Fire where two major tectonic plates, the implementation in the country. However, it has
Pacific Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet. With been observed and noted from. past experience
several fault lines crossing the country, combined with lessons learned and gaps
earthquakes could have very devastating effects. examination, that the law that creates the Council is
There are 220 volcanoes, 22 of which are classified more leaning and gives more emphasis on
as active (NDCC 2008), response action, thus, making the implementers
reactive to possible disasters rather than taking a
The Philippines is also located along the typhoon proactive snap in disaster risk management,
belt on the North Pacific Basin in the Pacific where Recently, OCD-NDCC initiated the shift on costs
75 per cent of the. typhoons originate. There are 20 management approaches and strategies from
to 30 typhoons passing through the country, 5-7 of reactive to proactive (from disaster response and
which can be destructive (NDCC 2008). As a preparedness to disaster risk reduction/
consequence of extreme rainfall events, flash management - a paradigm hi from the prevalent '
floods, flooding and landslides have become more culture of reaction' to a 'culture of prevention.)
prevalent since 2000.,
Then President Arroyo signed on May 27 Republic
The impacts of climate change in the Philippines Act 10121, also known as the Philippine Disaster
are becoming better understood (Cruz et al, 2007). Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, This
There: has been an increase in the annual mean Ad provides for the development of policies and
rainfall since the 1980s and in the number of rainy plans and the implementation of acts and measures
days since the 1990s (Criz et al; 10.11) average 20 pertaining to all aspects of disaster risk reduction,
cyclones cross the Philippine Area of Responsibility management and recovery, including good
(PAR) with 8-9 making landfall each year. governance, risk assessment and early warning
knowledge building and awareness raising,
The natural risks associated with these trends are reducing underlying risk! factors, and preparedness
aggravated by human activity particularly in the effective response and early recovery.
exploitation of resources such as forests and
minerals, development interventions that do not The new law adopts and adhere to principles and
incorporate responsible risk assessment. strategies consistent with the international
standards set by the Hyogo Framework for Action
According to the International Red Cross and Red (HFA), which is a comprehensive, action-oriented
Crescent Societies, the Philippines was the fourth response to international concern about the
most accident-prone country in the world. growing impacts of disasters on individuals,
Accordingly, 31,835 Filipinos were killed and communities and national development.
94,369,462 others were affected by natural
disasters and calamities in a span of 20 years. A National Disaster Risk Reduction, Management
and Recovery Framework and Plan was developed,
It is for the foregoing reasons that this module is formulated, and implemented. The Framework
focused on disaster risk reduction and provides for a comprehensive, all- hazards multi-
management. sectoral, inter-agency and community-based
approach to disaster risk reduction, management,
and recovery. It serves as the principal guide to 8. Engaging the participation of CSOs private
disaster risk reduction management and recovery sectors and volunteers in DRR;
efforts in the country in conformity with the National 9. Promotion of breastfeeding before and
Disaster Risk Reduction Management and during a disaster or emergency; and
Recovery Framework (NDRRMRF). 10. Ensuring maximum care, assistance and
services to affected individuals and
1. Republic Act No. 10121, known as the
"Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Salient Features of PDRRM Act of 2010
Management (PDRRM) Act of 2010
- "An Act Strengthening the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
System, Providing for the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management
Framework and Institutionalizing the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Plan, Appropriating Funds
Therefore and For Other Purposes.”

Section 2. Declaration of Policy 1. Policy Statements and Terminologies on DRRM

1. Upholding people's rights to life and (Secs. 2 & 3)
property and adherence to internationally
accepted principles, norms and standards 2. Institutional Mechanisms (Secs. 5-12)
for capacity building in DRRM and humanity a) DRRMCs (National, Provincial, City and
assistance; Municipal Levels and Barangay
2. Adoption of a holistic, comprehensive, Development Council at the barangay level);
integrated, proactive and multi-sector b) Office of Civil Defense
approach in addressing the impacts of c) Permanent Office on DRRM at the LGU
disasters, including climate change; Level; Barangay DRRM Committee
3. Development, promotion and d) Disaster Volunteers
implementation of a comprehensive
National Disaster Risk Reduction and 3. Operational Mechanisms (Sec. 15-18)
Management Plan (NDRRMP); a) Coordination during Emergencies
4. Mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change in b) Declaration of a State of Calamity
national and local development plans and c) Remedial Measures
development processes (e.g. policy d) Mechanism for the IHAN
formulation, socio-economic development
planning, budgeting and governance); 4. Participation, Accreditation, Mobilization,
5. Mainstreaming DRR into the peace process Protection and Development of Disaster Volunteers
and conflict resolution;
6. Ensuring DRR and CC-Gender responsive 5. Training and Education in DRR
measures, sensitive to indigenous a. Establishment of DRRM Training Institute
knowledge and respect of human rights; b. Mandatory Training in DRR for Public
7. Strengthening capacity building of LGUs on Sector Employee
DRR (e.g. decentralized powers, c. Integration of DRR in school curricula,
responsibilities, resources) and vulnerable training for out-of-school youth,
and marginalized groups; Sangguniang Kabataan, and informal
training
 IV. Organizational Network
II. The National Disaster Risk Reduction The Philippine Disaster Management System
Management Council (NDRRMC) (PDMS), as embodied in Presidential Decree No.
Leading the collaborative efforts in disaster 1566 and RA 10121, is carried out at various
preparedness planning and mitigation; as well as political subdivisions and administrative regions of
disaster response operations and rehabilitation the country through the National Disaster Risk
both in the government and private sectors is the Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC);
NDRRMC. It is the highest policy-making 17 Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and
coordinating and supervising body at the national Management Councils (RDRRMC); 80 Provincial
level chaired by the Secretary of National Defense Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils
thru the Executive Director of the Office of Civil (PDRRMC), 113 City Disaster Risk Reduction and
Defense (OCD), and has fourteen (14) departments Management Councils (CDRRMC); 1,496 Municipal
and thirty nine (39) line agencies as members. Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils
(MDRRMC); and 41,956 Barangay Risk Reduction
The NDRRMC is also responsible for advising the and Management Councils (BRRMC) respectively.
President of the Republic of the Philippines on the 1. Local Disaster Risk Reduction and
status of the national disaster preparedness Management Office (LDRRMO) (Section 12,
programs and management plans, disaster PDRRM Act)
operations, and rehabilitation efforts of all a. It is established in every Province,
stakeholders; and it also recommends to the City, Municipality, and Barangay
President the declaration of the state of calamity Disaster Risk Reduction and
and the release of the national calamity fund as Management Committee in every
needed barangay.
b. Responsibility - setting the direction,
III. The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) development, implementation, and
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), officially coordination of disaster risk
established on 1 July 1973, serves as the executive management programs within their
arm and secretariat of the NDRRMC. The OCD territorial jurisdiction.
formulates and implements the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP). V. Operational Structure (PDMS)
It has in its vision a service-oriented organization,
prepared population and a safe nation. Its mission ESSSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE
is to basically administer a comprehensive national RESPONSE OPERATION IN CONSEQUENCE
civil defense and civil assistance program by MANAGEMENT
providing leadership in the continuous development
of measures to reduce risk to communities and
manage the consequences of disasters. Input No, 2: Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Concepts
As the nerve center for alert and monitoring,
resource mobilization, response coordination, and The concept of disaster risk reduction and
information management, it has the primary task of management (DRRM) accepts that some hazard
coordinating the activities and functions of various events may occur but tries to lessen the impact by
government agencies and instrumentalities, private improving the community's ability to absorb the
institutions and civic organizations for the protection impact with minimum damage or destruction.
and preservation of life and property during Disaster risk reduction and management is a series
emergencies of actions (programmes, projects and/or measures)
and instruments expressly aimed at reducing
disaster risk in endangered regions, and mitigating directly supervise the local emergency
the extent of disasters. response teams and the Accredited
Community Disaster Volunteers (ACDV).
Operationally, it includes risk assessment, disaster
prevention and mitigation and disaster 2. Accreditation, Mobilization, and Protection of
Preparedness. It is used to underscore the current Disaster Volunteers and National Service
trend of taking a proactive approach to hazards Reserve Corps, Civil Society Organizations and
posed by extreme natural phenomena. the Private Sector (Section 13, PDRRM Act)
Definition of Disaster Management Terms a. The government: agencies, CSOs, private s
sectors and LGUs may mobilize individuals
1. Hazards. A situation that poses a level of or organized volunteers to augment their
threat to life, health, property or respective personnel complement and
environment. logistical requirements in the delivery of
2. Risks. A probability or threat of a damage, disaster risk reduction programs and
injury, liability, loss, or other negative activities.
occurrence that is caused by external or b. The agencies, CSOs, private sectors and
internal vulnerabilities, and that may be LGUs concerned shall take full responsibility
neutralized through preemptive action. for the enhancement, welfare and protection
3. Vulnerability. The level of susceptibility of volunteers, and shall submit the list of
resiliency of the people and communities volunteers to the OCD, through the
against the impact of the prevailing hazards LDRRMOs, for accreditation and inclusion
based on the state of physical, social, and in the database of community disaster
economic conditions in a given area. volunteers,
4. Disasters. A serious disruption of the
functioning of a community or a society 3. Integration of DRR Education into the School
involving widespread human, material, Curricula and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)
economic or environmental losses and Program and Mandatory Training for the Public
impacts, which exceeds the ability of the Sector Employees (Section 14, PDRRM Act)
affected community or society to cope using a. The DepEd, CHED, TESDA in coordination with
its own resources. OCD, NYC, DOST, DENR, DILG-BFP, DOH,
- “…a situation or event, which overwhelms DSWD and other relevant agencies, shall integrate
local capacity, necessitating a request to DRRM education in the school curricula of
national or international level for external secondary and tertiary levels of education,
assistance; an unforeseen and often including NSTP, whether private or public, including
sudden event that causes great damage, formal and non-formal, technical-vocational,
destruction and human suffering.” – Center indigenous learning, and out-of-school youth
for the Epidemiology of Disasters, Brussels courses and programs.
b. The NDRRMC, RDRRMCs, LDRRMCs,
c. LDRRMO shall be under the office of the LDRRMOs, BDRRMCs and the SK councils shall
governor, city or municipal mayor, and the Punong encourage community, specifically the youth
Barangay in case of the BDRRMC. the LDRRMO's participation in DRRM activities.
initially organized and is composed of a DRRMO,
assisted by three (3) staffs responsible for: The Disaster Equation
- administrative and training; - Hazards (H). Physical impact of disturbance
- research and planning and; - Risk (R). Likelihood of harm, loss, disaster
- operations and warning, The LDRRMOs - People or Community (Involvement).
and the BDRRMCs shall organize, train and Elements affected by hazard
 - Vulnerability (V). Susceptibility and
capacity prepare, absorb, and measure
hazard

H × R + V = Disaster

Where:
- Hazards (H)
- Risk (R)
- People of community Disaster Management
- Vulnerability (V) Disaster management refers to the efficient and
- Exposure. Elements affected by hazard effective utilization of resources and the application
of measure that will mitigate the impact of
Disaster Risk Management - What and Who? unfortunate events and facilitate return to normalcy
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) and redevelopment.
includes administrative decisions and operational 1. Disaster management occurs before, during,
activities that involve: and after a disaster.
1. Prevention 2. Disaster management consists of the DRM
2. Mitigation component as well as relief, response, early
3. Preparedness and long-term recovery, including
4. Response rehabilitation, and reconstruction.
5. Recovery a. Disaster response, including relief
6. Rehabilitation activities, is conducted immediately after a
disaster occurs primarily to save lives and
The Disaster Cycle for humanitarian purposes.
The disaster life cycle describes the process b. Recovery occurs over the short, medium
through which emergency managers prepare for and long term in the aftermath of a disaster.
emergencies and disasters, respond to them when Rehabilitation and reconstruction, on the
they occur, help people and institutions recover other hand, are long-term activities
from them, mitigate their effects, reduce risks of necessary to restore public infrastructures,
loss, and prevent disasters from occurring. services, and critical facilities.
c. Building back better during this process
- Disaster risk management involves all levels means not generating new risks and
of government decision maker and local mitigating existing ones.
government
- Non-governmental and community-based
organizations play a vital role in the process.
- Communities themselves are the first
responders

Disaster Management Cycle

1. Traditional Model - DM cycle. The
traditional approach to disaster
management is to regard it as a number of
phased sequences of action of a continuum.
'This can be represented as a cycle.
Rationale for Risk Management
1. Comprehensive risk management process
has the potential to break the cycle of
damage and reconstruction when a
community is subjected to repeated natural
hazards.
2. To be effective, a strategy must be in place
and ready for immediate implementation
when necessary.
3. This can only be done through advance
preparation and planning.

Disaster Risk Management Objectives Disaster Risk Reduction Management Paradigm

1. Reduce vulnerabilities in the community.
2. When sustained over a long term, reduce 1. The Disaster Risk Reduction paradigm
unacceptable risk to acceptable levels and has become dominant in the twenty-first
make the community become disaster century. DRR is proactive by aiming to
resistant/resilient establish a culture of disaster prevention
and resilience, DRR measures emphasizes
Disaster Risk Management refers to a range of: non-structural mitigation measures are
1. Policies therefore a must.
2. Legislative mandates 2. Disaster Risk Management is a "range of
3. Professional practices related activities for coping with risk,
4. Social, structural and non-structural including how related activities are identified
adjustments and assessed and how social interventions
5. Risks transfer mechanisms to prevent, to deal with risk are monitored and
reduce or minimize the effects of hazards evaluated".
on a community 3. DRRM is undertaken during "normal times"
and before another disaster strikes (e-g,
Range of Risk Management Measures during recovery). It focuses on the following:
1. Engineering measures (keep hazard away a. Mitigation and Prevention. This is
from People) a sustained measure taken before a
2. Land use planning and management disaster occurs and is aimed to
measures (keep People away from hazard) minimize the potential impacts of a
3. Control and protection works (modifying the disaster or reduce disaster risks.
hazard) b. Preparedness. This helps reduce
4. Early warning (predicting hazard) severity of impact or certain
5. Preparedness planning (prepare in disasters, particularly slow-onset
anticipation of a hazard event) disasters. Proactively with risk
6. Reconstruction planning after a disaster identification and capacity
with the aim of reducing the vulnerability development. Common
7. Mainstreaming risk management in preparedness measures: hazard
development practice and institutionalization maps, food and material stockpiling,
emergency drills, installation of early
Evolving DM Concepts and Paradigms warning systems, and preparation of
emergency kits.
c. Risk Assessment (identification
and monitoring). The information
 generated by this is essential to the tectonic plates, In fact, the country experiences ,an
development of non-structural average of 20 earthquakes per day (most are too
mitigation measures (e.g, weak to be felt). There are 22 volcanoes recorded
institutional and capacity building, to have erupted in the history of the country. Also,
information sharing and being located along the typhoon belt/superhighway
dissemination, land use planning). in the Pacific makes it vulnerable to extreme
weather events. An average of 20 typhoons/tropical
Risk Reduction focuses on prevention and cyclones visit the country every year, with of them
mitigation. It involves; considered the most destructive. Its 36,289 kms. of
- Development and implementation of coastline is also vulnerable to tsunami, making the
Policies, Regulations and Standards country also highly-susceptible to sea level rise and
- Land Use Planning, Zoning, Building storm surges. Accompanying or resulting from
Codes, Structural Best Practices these tropical cyclone events are secondary
- Preparedness Planning, Investment phenomena such as landslides, floods/flash floods/
Decision-Making, Institutional Frameworks tornadoes, drought, and heavy/ monsoon rains,
and System
- Education/Training, Public Awareness Aside from the natural hazards, the Philippines also
experiences human-induced incidents such as
Components of Risk Identification urban/structural fires, air, land and sea mishaps,
- Understanding the Nature of Hazards drowning, collapsed structure, epidemic/disease
- Understanding the Nature of Vulnerabilities outbreak, food poisoning, vehicular accidents, gas
explosion, chemical poisoning, oil spillage,
Disaster Response and Recovery bombings, civil disturbance, and complex
- Focuses on relatively narrow window post- emergencies, particularly those internally displaced
event citizens as a result of armed conflicts mostly in
- Focuses on triage, stabilization, bridging Southern Philippines.
back to ‘normal’ state
The consequences of disasters and the resulting
environmental degradation pose a serious threat to
Input No. 3: Geographic Hazards and Disaster the economic development of the country. The
Risk Profiles of the Philippines country's population density and extreme poverty
worsen the situation, making residents more
"Natural hazards are part of life. But hazards only vulnerable to natural hazards and public health
become disasters when people's lives and emergencies. Communicable diseases such as
livelihoods are swept away... let us remind tuberculosis, malaria, dengue, H1N1 and HIV
ourselves that we can and must reduce the impact continue to pose significant challenges.
of disasters by building sustainable communities
that have long term capacity to live with risk.” - Philippines Situationer
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan 1. Disasters, whether natural or human-made,
affect everyone, especially the poor, children,
The Philippines is susceptible to various types of women and the elderly who have the least
natural hazards due to its geographical location and capability to deal with disasters.
physical environment; being situated in the "Pacific
Ring of Fire", between two Tectonic plates
(Eurasian and Pacific), an area encircling the
Pacific Ocean where frequent earthquakes and
Volcanic activity result from the movements of said
The government pursues a comprehensive disaster 7. While governments are primarily responsible for
management framework that encompasses disaster management however, everybody is
disaster risk reduction, mitigation and preparedness equally responsible to undertake disaster
in the pre-event, and disaster response, preparedness mitigation, response and
rehabilitation and recovery in the post-event. A rehabilitation activities to ensure one's survival and
framework that has evolved and adapted to the safety during emergency situations.
lessons of past disaster events as well as emerging
concerns, and anchored on the national authority's Philippine Disaster Risk Profile
program thrusts aimed to, among others,
implement the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005- RP is vulnerable to almost all types of natural
2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and hazards because of its geographic location.
Communities to Disasters with the five (5) Thematic 1. Located within the Circum-Pacific belt of
Areas/Priorities for Action, as follows: fires and along typhoon path, the
Philippines becomes exposed to natural
1. Governance. Ensure that disaster risk perils like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
reduction is a national and local priority with typhoons and their resultant effects like
a strong institutional basis for tsunami, landslides, floods and flashfloods,
implementation. 2. As an archipelago with 7,107 islands, the
2. Risk Assessment and Early Warning. threat of tsunami affecting the country's
Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks coastal areas is not far-fetched.
and enhance early warning. 3. The Moro Gulf Earthquake with 7.6 intensity
3. Knowledge Management and Education. triggered a tsunami which affected the
Use knowledge, innovation and education to Southern Philippines and resulted in the
build a culture of safety and resilience at all death of around 3,800 persons and
levels. destruction of properties.
4. Risk Management and Vulnerability 4. Yearly, the country experiences an average
Reduction. Reduce the underlying factors. of twenty (20) typhoons, half of these are
5. Disaster Preparedness. Strengthen destructive; is a host to 300 volcanoes,
disaster preparedness for effective twenty-two (22) of which are active, as well
response at all levels. as active faults and trenches that are
potential sources of earthquakes.
2. From 1994 to 2003, some 2.5 billion people were 5. The country also has its episodes of human-
affected by natural disasters alone worldwide, made disasters such as urban, fires, air,
which is an increase of 60% over the past decade. land, and sea mishaps and complex
3. More than 478,000 people were killed during this emergency, mostly in Southern Philippines
period. because of the secessionist movement,
4. Foods and earthquakes are the deadliest coupled with vulnerability to floods and
accounting for more than half of the total casualties. other natural hazards.
5. Asia is the continent most affected, accounting 6. From 1970 to 2000, the Philippines incurred
for more than half of the casualties, and more than average annual damage of P15 Billion or
90% of those injured, homeless and needing US$ 100 Million due to disasters which have
assistance. caused major setback in the country's
6. Past disaster, events worldwide would indicate socio-economic development.
that the impact of disaster is most felt by 7. In 2004, the- country experienced twenty-
developing and underdeveloped countries five (25) weather disturbances, four of these
particularly the poorest segments of society. occurring successively in November and
first week of December and brought
massive landslides and flooding in Southern
 and Central Luzon. And also last year, RP c. Biological Hazards. Processes of
ranked number 4 worldwide in terms of organic or those conveyed by
frequency and death toll. biological vectors, including
8. Tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng, exposure to pathogenic micro-
in September and October 2009, organism, toxins and bioactive
respectively, brought two of the worst floods substances. Examples: outbreak of
in history of Luzon particularly in Metro epidemics diseases, plant or animal
Manila and Pangasinan that caused deaths contagion and extensive infestations.
estimated nearly 900 according to the 2. Technological Hazards (Anthropogenic
National Disaster Coordinating Council and Hazards). Danger originating, from technological or
billions of properties. industrial accidents, dangerous procedures
infrastructure failures cr certain human activities
Hazards in the Philippines which may cause the loss life or injury property
The Philippines is prone to various natural hazards damage, social and economic disruption of loss
because of its geographic and geologic setting. environmental degradation
Examples:
Hazard Classification - Industrial pollution, nuclear activities and
1. Natural Hazards are natural processes or radioactivity
phenomena occurring in the biosphere that - Toxic wastes, dam failures, transport,
may constitute a damaging event. It can be industrial or technological accidents
classified by origin: geographical, hydro- (explosions, fires, spills)
meteorological and biological.
a. Geographical Hazards. Natural 3. Environmental Degradation processes induced
earth processes or phenomena in by human behavior and activities (sometimes
the biosphere, which include combined with natural hazards) that damage the
geological, neo-tectonic, geophysical, natural resource base or adversely alter natural
geomorphological, geotechnical and processes or ecosystems.
hydro-geological nature. Examples: Examples:
earthquakes, tsunamis; volcanic - land degradation, deforestation,
activity and emissions; Mass desertification, wild land fires, loss of
movements i.e, landslides, biodiversity
rockslides, rockfall, - land, water and air pollution, climate change,
liquefaction,submarine slides; sea level rise, ozone depletion
subsidence, surface collapse,
geological fault activity. The Philippines Hazard Scope
b. Hydro-Meteorological Hazards. RP is the strategic geographical position in the
Natural processes or phenomena of Ring of Fire.
atmospheric, hydrological or
oceanographic nature. Examples: Destructive Historical Earthquakes of the
floods, debris and mud flows; Philippines
tropical cyclone, storm surge,
thunder/hailstorms, rain and wind c. recognizing information .as a form of disaster
storms, blizzards and other severe response in its own right
storms; drought, desertification, wild d. supporting better access to information and
land fires, heat waves, sand or dust communications along with technology for
storms; permafrost, snow vulnerable communities
avalanches,
e. building a partnership for sharing information or group and their situation that influences their
with communities, local governments, medìa, capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist, and recover
telephone companies and industries; and from the impact of a natural hazard." Implicit here 's
f. women and men of all ages from disaster differential vulnerability"; that is, different
affected areas and wider local populations, populations face different levels of risk and
including vulnerable groups should receive vulnerability. Consequently, policies aimed at
information about the assistance programme and addressing risk and vulnerability must also take into
are given the opportunity to comment to the account these differential impacts and outcomes of
assistance agency during all stages. disasters. Although the sources of vulnerability are
multiple and quite diverse, some of the most
Vulnerability Assessment important factors that affect vulnerability include
population growth and distribution and social
Sample Exposure Rating of Community diversity. Several elements contribute to urban
vulnerability. It is their compounding and correlated
Single Climatic Event: Flood effects that make urban disaster risk reduction a
Community Category: Flatland/Urban challenge. These elements can be grouped into the
Exposure Rating Scale: Low=1 moderate = 2 High following vulnerability attributes:
=3
1. Unplanned Urbanization is having
Instruction: Using the matrix below, assess your increasingly devastating effects. Rapidly
community's exposure to the hazards and risks of exploding growth of cities is overwhelming
climate change. government institutions with the pressures
of urbanization. Much of the growth is
haphazard, far exceeding the cities'
capacity to adequately plan and control
development. As a result, uncontrolled
urbanization often feeds the growth of slums,
reinforces poverty, and diminishes cities'
ability to deal with disasters.
Faced with these challenges, cities
developed housing infrastructures and
offered basic social services haphazardly
and often without any formal land use and
urban planning process. When these
elements exist, they are typically oriented
towards optimization of land, and seldom
incorporate any disaster risk management
parameters. Migration aggravates the
problem by creating large-scale informal
Input No. 4: Vulnerability of the Urban construction. Migrants also face significant
Environment challenges in adapting their past experience
and coping strategies to the new risk
The "vulnerability" perspective in disasters, which is environment in cities,
rapidly emerging as the dominant view in the field,
assumes that a real disaster occurs when it strikes 2. Continuing social and physical
an underprivileged population. Vulnerability is degradation. New migrants and the
formally defined as "the characteristics of a person underprivileged move into inner city
 neighborhoods where buildings are old and precarious conditions of the built
in poor maintenance conditions; access environment in cities. Hence, Physical
roads are narrow and service delivery is vulnerability of the existing environment
difficult. These old buildings and the aging constitutes one of the biggest threats to
infrastructures pose constant threat to their urban dwellers.
occupants from hazards such as fires,
floods and earthquakes. A significant 4. Damages from climate change will
proportion of urban dwellers resides and/or accelerate, as the world gets warmer.
works in these highly vulnerable buildings The consequences of climate change will
where they are at high risk from multiple become disproportionately more damaging
hazards and where access for emergency with increased warming. Higher
vehicles is often difficult and can be temperatures will increase the chance of
completely obstructed by building debris, in triggering abrupt and large-scale changes
case of a hazard politically and financially that lead to regional disruption, migration
difficult to devise and implement, Reducing and conflict. Warming may induce sudden
event solutions to reduce social and shifts in regional weather patterns such as
physical vulnerabilities are socially, the the monsoon rains in South Asia or the EI
social and physical vulnerability of these Nino phenomenon. Climate change is
neighborhoods remains a formidable aggravating the impact of climate related
challenge to the authorities. hazards particularly those related to
temperature and precipitation changes,
3. Urban risk has been neglected. To a large which in turn, bring forth environmental
extent, local authorities have been ignoring health risks.
urban risk from extreme hazards. And
worse, national governments and 5. The link between disaster risk reduction
international organizations have been and adaptation to climate change. It is
neglecting cities in setting DRR priorities now recognized that reducing disaster risk
and providing funding support, respectively. through the HFA is the key strategy for
The premise has been tha cities, especially climate change adaptation. From the
megacities, have the capacity to address disaster risk reduction perspective there is
risk on their own; however, it is now clear growing recognition of two key ideas: the
that most cities, particularly in the disaster risk reduction needs practical
developing world, are not effectively application of adaptation to climate change
managing their risk. The validity of such a risk reduction, and to are however needed
premise needs to be revisited as it is to build on these concepts and to focus
challenged by the ever increasing evidence more on taking climate change into account.
of social and physical urban vulnerabilities. Efforts initiatives. As it stands, the HFA is
Schools, hospitals, essential facilities, primarily written by and for national and
housing, commercial and institutional international audiences. An equivalent set of
property are poorly constructed and guiding principles and planning tools are
designed without satisfying minimum safety needed to orient local investment in DRR.
standards. Structural vulnerability studies
undertaken in large cities around the world 6. Weak institutional arrangements. In most
indicate a high vulnerability of the existing developing countries, legislative and
built environment to natural hazards. Urban institutional arrangements inhibit rather than
disasters, particularly earthquakes, have enable local action. While it is recognized
again and again demonstrated the that disasters are initially local events,
 accountability, authority and resources are 9. Lack of acceptable standards of practice.
not sufficiently decentralized to enable local DRM is a professional practice that still
governments to assume ownership and take lacks its own set of acceptable standards of
actions to manage disaster risk effectively. practice. This results in a dispersion of effort
and an ineffective use of resources. It also
7. Lack of political feasibility. Politicians, erodes the political support for local level
administrators, and community leaders all action on DRR. Providing tools to enable
face conflicting priorities, and DRR almost translating national policies into
invariably takes the back seat to other mainstreaming planning processes at the
needs which may be considered more local level would help cities in
pressing or easier to solve. Risk is not understanding the options that are available
managed preemptively, but thought of in to them for managing risks and for planning
terms of something to be dealt with when and implementing urban DRR.
disaster strikes through emergency Hence the way forward to create a Safer
response and humanitarian assistance, World are:
Further, the inadequacy of experience a. recognizing that Environmental
methodology and standards for Sustainability is a must for stopping
benchmarking make DRR an unattractive a Disaster
proposition for local officials. b. recognizing that Social Sustainability
along with development is necessary
8. Insufficient knowledge, experience and for good Risk Reduction
capacity. Disaster risk reduction is complex,
and few administrators have experienced
implementing DRR initiatives. It takes time,
effort, tools, and training to assimilate
disaster risk reduction in city functions and
ongoing operations. Significant deficiencies
remain throughout cities and megacities in
terms of inter-institutional coordination,
warning systems, incident command and
control, resources for response, relief,
recovery, and rehabilitation practice.

An additional weakness relates to the

project planning processes of the
government. While concepts are often
understood and policies are in place,
carrying these policies and concepts to
practice is a major hurdle for government at
all levels. Even among cities which have
shown competency in establishing planning
processes to control their physical
development, carrying these planning
processes into project planning and
execution remains a challenging step.