MODULE 3

WEEK 3
 Let's Learn

In the previous module you are enlightened with the effects of disasters on different perspectives.
You learned that disasters can affect us physically, psychologically, emotionally, socially, politically
and environmentally.

This module was designed and written to help you understand vulnerability.

The module is divided into two lessons, namely:

Lesson 1 Vulnerability

• Lesson 2- Sectors of society vulnerable to disasters

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. explain the meaning of vulnerability

2. explain why certain factors of society are more vulnerable to disaster than others
 Let's Try Directions. Read and analyze each item carefully. Choose the letter of the
PRE ASSESSMENT correct answer. Write your answer on the space provided. Please click the link
Lesson 1 Vulnerability
We already have discussed on the previous modules what a disaster is, the different risk
factors of a disaster, the classifications and natures of a disaster and the effects of
disasters in one's lives based on the different perspectives that we have in life. In this
module, we will be going to find out what vulnerability means.
Let's Recall
Let's Elaborate
Vulnerability describes the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset
that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard. There are many
aspects of vulnerability, arising from various physical, social, economic, and
environmental factors. Examples may include:

poor design and construction of buildings,

inadequate protection of assets, lack of public information and awareness,

limited official recognition of risks and preparedness measures, and disregard for
wise environmental management.

Vulnerability varies significantly within a community and over time.

There are different types of vulnerability:

1. Physical Vulnerability may be determined by aspects such as population
density levels, remoteness of a settlement, the site,
design and materials used for critical infrastructure
and for housing. EXAMPLE: Wooden homes are less
likely to collapse in an earthquake, but are more
vulnerable to fire.
The physical vulnerability of an area also depends on its geographic proximity to
the source and origin of the disasters e.g. if an area lies near the coast lines, fault
lines, unstable hills etc. it makes the area more vulnerable to disasters as
compared to an area that is far away from the origin of the disaster. Physical
vulnerability includes the DIFFICULTY IN ACCESS to water resources, means of
communications, hospitals, police stations, fire brigades, roads, bridges and exits
of a building or/an area, in case of disasters. Furthermore, the lack of proper
planning and implementation in construction of residential and commercial
buildings results in buildings that are weaker and vulnerable in earthquakes,
floods, and landslides.
2. Social Vulnerability
refers to the inability of people, organizations and societies to withstand adverse impacts to hazards due
to characteristics inherent in social interactions, institutions and systems of cultural values. It is linked to
the level of well-being of individuals, communities and society. It includes aspects related to levels of
literacy and education, the existence of peace and security, access to basic
human rights, systems of good governance, social equity, positive traditional values, customs and
ideological beliefs and overall collective organizational systems.

EXAMPLE: When flooding occurs some citizens, such as children, elderly and
differently-able, may be unable to protect themselves or evacuate if necessary
3. Economic Vulnerability

The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of

individuals, communities and nations. The poor are usually. more vulnerable to
disasters because they lack the resources to build sturdy structures and put
other engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being
negatively impacted by disasters. EXAMPLE: Poorer families may live in. squatter
settlements because they cannot afford to live in safer (more expensive) areas.
4. Environmental Vulnerability
Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are key aspects of environmental
vulnerability, EXAMPLE: Pollution. from stormwater runoff containing agricultural
chemicals, eroded soils, deforested

5. Attitudinal Vulnerability
A community which has negative attitude towards change and lacks initiative in life
resultantly become more and more dependent on external support. They cannot act
independently. Their sources of livelihood do not have variety, lacks entrepreneurship
and do not possess the concept of collectivism.
This brings about disunity and individualism in the society. Thus, they become victims
of conflicts, hopelessness and pessimism which reduces their capacity of

coping with a disaster. In short, our attitude towards a disaster define or will show

our vulnerability to disasters.

Let's Dig In

Let's Apply Identify (two areas) and explain why these areas in the community are vulnerable of
disasters

1.
2.
Lesson Sectors of Society Vulnerable to Disasters than Others
2
The sectors of society more at risk from disaster are
all the at risk groups. That may be the poor but it is
also the very young, very old and those with
disabilities. Let's not leave out those who refuse to
leave when warned and just choose not to. The at
risk group which is created by greed to sell or rent a
high risk housing is growing at an alarming rate. An
example is to build housing in flood prone land
making an already high risk area even higher risk.
Let's Recall

Answer the following questions?

1. How do you understand vulnerability?

2. What are the different types of vulnerability? Give

examples of each.
Let's Explore Study the picture below. As a student, describe what and how do
you feel when you. are in a situation like this?

Let's Elaborate The severity of a disaster depends on both the physical nature of the
extreme event and the social nature of the human populations affected by
the event. Here are some important human factors that tend to influence
disaster severity. A core point here. is that DIFFERENT PEOPLE, EVEN
WITHIN THE SAME REGION, HAVE DIFFERENT VULNERABILITY TO NATURAL
HAZARDS.

Here are some human factors that we need to consider to address

vulnerability of individuals to the effects of disasters.
 Wealth Wealth is one of the most important human factors in vulnerability. Wealth affects.
vulnerability in several ways. The poor are less able to afford housing and other infrastructure
that can withstand extreme events. They are less able to purchase. resources needed for
disaster response and are less likely to have insurance policies. that can contribute. They are
also less likely to have access to medical care. Because of these and other factors, when
disaster strikes, the poor are far more likely than the rich to be injured or killed.

Education is another important factor in hazard impacts. With education, we can learn how to
avoid or reduce many impacts. When populations are literate, then written messages
can be used to spread word about hazards in general or about specific disasters. Even
without literacy, it is possible to educate a population about hazards in order to help it
reduce its vulnerability. When populations include professionals trained in hazards,
then these people can help the populations with their hazards preparations and
responses.
Governance The nature of both formal governments and informal governance in a
population is another important factor. Governments can advance
policies that reduce vulnerability. They can establish agencies tasked
with reducing vulnerability. One example of the role of government
that we've seen already is the Philippine government at this time of
COVID-19 pandemic. They have implemented quarantine procedures
to prevent the spread of the virus. They distributed aids in the form of
cash assistance and relief goods to families.
Technology The capabilities of the available technology can also play a large role in disasters.
Technology can improve our ability to forecast extreme events, withstand the impacts of
the events, and recover afterward. Technology is closely tied to wealth, education, and
governance. Wealthier, more educated societies are more likely to have more advanced
technology. A society's governance systems play a large role in how and how effectively the
available technology is used in a disaster situation.

Age. Children and the elderly tend to be more vulnerable. They have less
physical strength to survive disasters and are often more susceptible to certain
diseases. The coming typhoon, but their experiences of vulnerability will
certainly be different form the other.
Let's Dig In Write your reactions and explain who are these individuals more vulnerable
to disaster than the others based on the situation below. You may also
access it on the link provided http://bitly.ws/gepq

A typhoon is about to hit your area and neighboring areas in 24-hour time.
You live near a body of water with a grandfather and grandmother who are
both 70 years old. Your parents are on their mid-40s. You have two younger
siblings aged 10 and 5.

Let's Remember
Read and analyze the excerpt of a news article about the eruption of Taal volcano. What are the sectors
vulnerable to the volcano's eruption? Explain.

For the more than 500,000 residents of the exclusion zone around the Philippines' Toal volcano, which
began erupting on Sunday, the coming days will be a tense wait to see if the eruption will intensify-
threatening lives and property or sputter out. If activity ramps up, Taal is capable of producing all three
of the deadliest volcanic hazards: tsunamis, mudflows, and superheated flows of gas and debris.
Volcanoes are notoriously unpredictable, but there are seismic signs and others that geologists will be
watching for indications of what this one will do.
Let's Apply In a sheet of paper, give your reactions on this situation. Be sure to explain
how is the situation affects the vulnerability of the individual involved
especially in this time of COVID 19 pandemic.
A member of the family worked in a hospital.

Let's Evaluate

POST ASSESSMENT

Directions. Read and analyze each item carefully found on the

link below. Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your
answer on the space provided. You may also access it on the link
provided http://bitly.ws/gepy
MODULE 4
(WEEK 4)
Let's Learn
In the previous module you learned vulnerability, the different factors affecting vulnerability and
sectors vulnerable to disasters.

This module was organized and written to help you understand more on vulnerability and find out its
relationship to hazards and exposure.

The module is divided into two lessons, namely:

Lesson 1 Vulnerabilities of different elements exposed to specific hazards

Lesson 2 - Hazards, exposure and vulnerabilities

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. recognize vulnerabilities of different elements exposed to specific hazards

2. differentiate among hazards, exposure and vulnerabilities and explain the relationship of the three
to disaster risk.
 Let's Try PRE ASSESSMENT
Directions. Read and analyze each item carefully. Choose the letter of the correct. answer. Write your
answer on the space provided. You may also access it on the link provided http://bitly.ws/geqL
 Lesson 1
Vulnerabilities of different elements
exposed to specific hazards

In the previous module, we have learned that vulnerability is the inability to resist a
hazard or to respond when a disaster has occurred. In this module, we will be
identifying vulnerabilities of different elements exposed to specific hazards.

Let's Recall Answer the following questions?

1. How do you define vulnerability?

2. Give the different factors affecting vulnerability to disasters?

3. Enumerate sectors vulnerable to disasters and explain why?

 Let's Explore

4 PICS ONE WORD- Identify the term described by the

pictures found on the link. http://bitly.ws/gerc
Let's Elaborate
Let us first acquaint ourselves on terms that we will meet in our discussions. In simple
terms, a hazard is a dangerous situation or event that carries a threat to humans. A
disaster is an event that actually harms humans and disrupts the operations of society,
Hazards will be considered disasters once they affect humans, but if they occur in an
unpopulated area, they will remain hazards. A good example of this is an underwater
volcano. If it explodes and humans are not affected, it remains a hazard. But if it affects
a nearby population by destroying food sources and property on a large scale, it will be
seen as a disaster.

To classify something as a hazard, it must have the potential to be dangerous and

harmful to humans. Hazards are a normal occurrence on our planet and cannot
be avoided. Remember, a hazard has all the potential to be harmful, but won't actively harm humans or our
environment. For example, a hurricane in the middle of the ocean that is nowhere near to land could be a
simple hazard. It is unlikely that it will ever affect humans on a large scale, running out of momentum
before it reaches our shores. However, if that hurricane does make it to land, the destruction. it would
cause upon a town or city would be deemed a disaster. To classify something as a hazard is to acknowledge
the threat to life, health, environment or property.
 For a disaster to take place, the normal operations of a human community must be
completely disrupted. We have many examples of natural disasters caused by
earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes. The damage must be widespread enough to
alter the normal operations of the community affected. In modern society, the event of
a disaster sparks an international involvement and nearby countries or states aid in
recovery operations.

Disasters are hazards that have become 'active', harming humanity in the process. A
volcanic eruption is the perfect example of a hazard that becomes a disaster. If the
volcano is active, it will be deemed a hazard, but once it explodes and wreaks havoc on
the nearby population, it is considered a disaster. Oil leaks can also be considered
disasters as they affect the health of marine life in the ocean and threaten important
food sources.
When people talk about hazards and disasters, you will often hear the term 'natural' thrown in. This refers to
acts of nature, like earthquakes or tsunamis. They are the most common type of hazard/disaster, but there
can also be man-made ones. For example, a chemical leak or the explosion of a power station could easily be
disaster-type situations. Sometimes man-made structures add to the impact of a hazard and together they
create an even bigger disaster. In Japan, a nuclear power station was damaged by an earthquake and
exploded. The combination of a natural hazard and a man-made structure resulted in a massive disaster that
killed people

and destroyed property.

As hazards and disasters happen, there are different elements exposed to these.

circumstances. Elements exposed to different hazard refers to the element at risk

from a natural or manmade hazard event. These include human beings, dwellings

or households and communities, building structures, public facilities and

infrastructure assets, public transport system, agricultural commodities and

environmental assets.
 Let's Dig In
Activity 1 AM I EXPOSED?
From the pictures, identify the exposed elements at risk to the hazard.
 3-2-1 Ready
Let's Remember
List three things you have learned.

1.

2.

3.

List two things that interest you and you'd like to learn more about

1.

2.

Ask one question you still have about the lesson.

1.
Lesson 2 Hazards, exposure and vulnerabilities and
relationship to disaster risk
The risk from a natural hazard is determined by the combined
understanding of three components hazard (how big and how often?),
exposure (what elements are at risk-people, buildings etc.) and
vulnerability (how does each exposed element respond to hazard)

Let's Recall

DJ Recall:

From the previous lesson, write in a sheet of paper what you

have learned form of your favorite song.
 Let's Explore

Analyze the pictures found on the link below. Identify

the ways on how we reduce the risk of the typhoon on
the different components. http://bitly.ws/gerh
 Let's Dig In

Analyze the picture found on the link below. You will need a sheet of paper
to answer the activity. Identify the ways on how we reduce the risk of an
carthquake on these components:
 Let's Evaluate

POST ASSESSMENT
Directions. Read and analyze each item carefully on the link provided. http://bitly.ws/gert. Choose
the letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on the space provided.