The document discusses factors that contribute to disasters including hazards, vulnerability, lack of capacity, and poverty. It defines hazard, disaster, and the different types of hazards including natural hazards like typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions as well as man-made hazards such as civil conflicts, industrial accidents, and environmental degradation. Combination hazards involve both natural and human elements. The exposure of vulnerable communities to hazards they cannot cope with leads to disasters characterized by loss of lives, injuries, property damage, and economic and environmental impacts.