DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(DRRM)
Concept, Principles and Relevance of Disaster
Risk Reduction

What is Disaster Risk Reduction?
Term reducing and preventing disaster
risks
Hazard’s adverse effects are avoidable
DRR actions can be political, technical,
social and economical

Concept of Disaster Risk
 DISASTER- originated from the French word “desastre” which is a
combination of the word “des” meaning BAD and “aster” meaning
STAR, and can be inferred that disaster literally means a bad star.
 serious disruption of the functioning of a community involving
widespread human, material, economic, or environmental losses
and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community
or society to cope using its own resources.
 Disaster are often defined by consequences to human lives and not
on the basis of the disaster itself.

 RISK-The concept of chance or possibility of an event and it’s
negative consequence.
 DISASTER RISK- Refers to the potential, disaster losses which
could occur in a particular community over some specified
future time period.
-Product of possible damage caused by a hazard due to the vulnerability
within a community.
-can be categorized as either intensive or extensive.
-can be considered as “acute” or “slow”

THREE ASPECTS TO DETERMINE DISASTER
RISK:
 HAZARD- “dangerous phenomenon”, substance, human activity, or condition, that
may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of
livelihoods, and services, social and economic disruption or environmental
damage.
NATURAL HAZARD- are phenomena that may cause severe death toll, damages to
property, environment and socio-economic
 Biological hazard
 Geologic hazard
 Hydrometeorological hazard

VULNERABILITY- and circumstances of a community,
system or asset that make it susceptible to the
damaging effects of a hazard.
CAPACITY- the ability of people organization,
organizations, and systems, using available skills and
resources, to face and manage adverse

IMPACTS OF DISASTERS
 Social impacts
 Housing
 Health
 Education
Economic impact
Environmental impacts