Understanding Disasters and Disaster Risk

Disaster Risk Reduction is a very powerful concept, which not only aims to prevent new disaster risk, but to reduce existing disaster risk to strengthen resilience. Just think about that for a minute: Disaster Risk Reduction helps you prepare for the worst, so that you have the best chance of coming out the other side of disasters. Not only does it help you reduce the impact of disasters, it helps reduce the likelihood of them happening in the first place. It is entirely possible to be prepared for disasters, as the Case Studies section demonstrates.

But, before we go further, let’s get some other terminology clear. What do we mean by disasters, risk, vulnerability and resilience?

Disaster: “A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity, leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts.” Although it is easy to think of disasters as short-term, major incidents, disasters can also be long-lasting, chronic situations. A flood or a fire would normally constitute a short-lived disaster, while the steady worsening of the environment, or climate change, are also major disasters in themselves, leading to many local impacts. Whether a localized, one-off event, or a more systematic problem, the same approaches can be used to identify risks, and manage and prevent them.

Components of risk

Hazard: “A process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.”

Exposure: “The situation of people, infrastructure, housing, production capacities and other tangible human assets located in hazard-prone areas.”

Vulnerability: “The conditions determined by physical, social, economic and environmental factors or processes which increase the susceptibility of an individual, a community, assets or systems to the impacts of hazards.”

Disaster risk: “The potential loss of life, injury, or destroyed or damaged assets which could occur to a system, society or a community in a specific period of time, determined probabilistically as a function of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and capacity.” Risks are frequently confused with hazards, but a risk is the likelihood of a hazard (threat) occurring or having an impact.

Residual risk: “The disaster risk that remains in unmanaged form, even when effective Disaster Risk Reduction measures are in place, and for which emergency response and recovery capacities must be maintained.”

Key concepts

Disaster Risk Reduction: “Disaster Risk Reduction is aimed at preventing new and reducing existing disaster risk and managing residual risk, all of which contribute to strengthening resilience and therefore to the achievement of sustainable development.”

Disaster Risk Management: “Disaster Risk Management is the application of Disaster Risk Reduction policies and strategies to prevent new disaster risk, reduce existing disaster risk and manage residual risk, contributing to the strengthening of resilience and reduction of disaster losses.” Disaster Risk Management can be thought of as the implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction.

Capacity: “The combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within an organization, community or society to manage and reduce disaster risks and strengthen resilience.” Capacity can also be thought of as ability, agency and choice. It is the basis of resilience. Oxfam distinguishes three types of capacity that are essential for resilience:

“Absorptive capacity is the capacity to take intentional protective action to cope with known shocks and stresses. It is necessary because shocks and stresses will continue to happen, for example due to extreme weather events, protracted conflict and natural disasters.

Adaptive capacity is the capacity to make intentional incremental adjustments in anticipation of or in response to change, in ways that create more flexibility in the future. It is necessary because change is ongoing and uncertain, and because intentional transformation takes time and sustained engagement.

Transformative capacity is the capacity to make intentional change to stop or reduce the drivers of risk, vulnerability and inequality, and ensure the more equitable sharing of risk so it is not unfairly borne by poor and vulnerable people. It is necessary because resilience is not about surviving in unjust contexts or adapting to whatever is coming. Resilience is about justice and inclusive development.” Resilience: “The ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management.” Capacity and resilience are closely related. Resilience can be thought of as an expression of capacity.

Build Back Better: “The use of the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction phases after a disaster to increase the resilience of nations and communities through integrating Disaster Risk Reduction measures into the restoration of physical infrastructure and societal systems, and into the revitalization of livelihoods, economies and the environment.”

Direct and indirect losses: “Direct disaster losses refer to directly quantifiable losses such as the number of people killed and the damage to buildings, infrastructure and natural resources. Indirect disaster losses include declines in output or revenue, and impact on wellbeing of people, and generally arise from disruptions to the flow of goods and services as a result of a disaster.”

Further terminology

Critical infrastructure: “The physical structures, facilities, networks and other assets which provide services that are essential to the social and economic functioning of a community or society.”

Disaster response: “Actions taken directly before, during or immediately after a disaster in order to save lives, reduce health impacts, ensure public safety and meet the basic subsistence needs of the people affected.”

Mitigation: “The lessening or minimizing of the adverse impacts of a hazardous event.”

Prevention: “Activities and measures to avoid existing and new disaster risks.”

Reconstruction: “The medium- and long-term rebuilding and sustainable restoration of resilient critical infrastructures, services, housing, facilities and livelihoods required for the full functioning of a community or a society affected by a disaster, aligning with the principles of sustainable development and ‘build back better’, to avoid or reduce future disaster risk.” Recovery: “The restoring or improving of livelihoods and health, as well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and activities, of a disaster-affected community or society, aligning with the principles of sustainable development and ‘build back better’, to avoid or reduce future disaster risk.”

Rehabilitation: “The restoration of basic services and facilities for the functioning of a community or a society affected by a disaster.”

Terminology is drawn from the UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction Terminology, which aims to promote a common understanding and usage of Disaster Risk Reduction concepts and to assist the Disaster Risk Reduction efforts of authorities, practitioners and the public.