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Week 3:
Key Concept of
Vulnerability and
Capacity
Basic Concept in Understanding a Disaster
Hazard
Vulnerabilit Capacit
Vulnerability
● a set of prevailing or consequential conditions, which adversely
affect the community’s ability to prevent, mitigate, prepare for
and respond to hazardous events
● a potential to be harmed by natural hazards or a state of being
at risk
● Vulnerability is defined as the characteristics and
circumstances of a community, system or resource that make it
susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard (Republic Act
10121: Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010)
C
B
A
Most Vulnerable Sectors
● community members whose capacities are low and not sufficient
to withstand and overcome the damaging and adverse effects of
disasters
● so called abused sectors and at the lowest levels of society

Less Vulnerable Sectors
● community members whose capacities start from their own
ability to acquire mental resources; skills and trainings; and
position in society
● their roles is to extend assistance and support to vulnerable

sectors
Not Vulnerable Sectors
● having high position in the community
● targets of the vulnerable and less vulnerable sectors in advocacy
work relating disaster issue to the structure and policies
implemented by the government that are the root causes of
vulnerability of the community
Elements Affecting
Vulnerability
Physical/Material Vulnerability
● 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 (UNISDR)
● Answers the question: “where do people live?”
A B
Social Vulnerability
● highly linked to the social well-being of individuals, families and
communities
☑ levels of education or literacy
☑ access to human rights
☑ social equality
☑ customs, beliefs and values
☑ organization system
Economic Vulnerability
● highly dependent on the economic status of individuals,
communities and nations
Environmental Vulnerability
● creates social and economic disruption and forced migration of
the entire community
☑ environmental degradation
☑ loss of biodiversity
☑ loss of resilience of ecological system
the capacity to recover quickly
from difficulties
Attitudinal or Motivational Vulnerability
● people who have low confidence in their ability to affect change
and feel defeated by events are harder hit by disasters
☑ attitude toward change
☑ faith, determination, fighting spirit
☑ religious belief, ideology
☑ hopelessness, discouragement
☑ initiative
Capacity
● all strengths, attributes, and resources available within a
community, organization, or society that can be used to achieve
an agreed goal (UNISDR, 2009)
● positive characteristic of people that may reduce the risk posed
by hazards
Coping Capacity
● the ability of people, organizations, and systems, using available
skills and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions,
emergencies or disasters (UNISDR, 2009)
Adequate Responsi
income or ve local
savings governm
ent
Family Local
and knowledge
communi
ty
support
Capacity Assessment
● people identify resources they rely on in times of crisis to
reduce the damaging effects of hazards and to rescue the
sustainability of their livelihood
● this aims to:
☑ understand people’s previous experiences with hazards that
enabled them to develop coping strategies
☑ look into available resources that the community uses to
prepare for and to mitigate the negative effects of a
disaster
Basic Concept in Understanding a Disaster
Hazard
● potential loss of lives,
livelihood, assets, services,
and health due to disasters
which could happen to a
community over a specified
period in the future Disaster
Risk
Vulnerabilit Capacit
Effects of Disaster from
Different Perspectives
Socio-cultural and Political
● displacement of population is the immediate effect of disasters
☑ people abandon their homes to seek shelter in safe places
☑ the migration to another place disrupts livelihood,
education, accessibility to services, food supply, and basic
necessities, as well as political governance and cultural
practices of a community
☑ secondary effect of displacement is health risks - most
often, displaced people become sick because of dirty
surroundings, unclean water, and poor sanitation
Economic
● disastrous events destroy agricultural farms, forests, fish forms
and products
☑ loss of livelihood and assets
☑ disruption of services
Psychological and Emotional
● victims of disasters, especially children, suffer from PTSD
(post-traumatic stress disorders)
☑ when left untreated, it can cause psychological damage and
emotional stress
Physical
● environmental degradations due to landslides, flood, forest fire
and drought are one of the major effects of natural disasters
☑ disrupt the functioning of the ecosystem
What is the difference between
natural phenomenon and natural
hazards? Natural hazards and
disaster?
An earthquake is simply considered as natural phenomenon if it
happens in an unpopulated area.
If the earthquake happens in a place where it affects human

beings, it becomes a natural hazard.
If this natural hazard affects the people and they are unable to
cope with it, the situation becomes a disaster.
An earthquake is simply considered as natural phenomenon if it
happens in an unpopulated area.
If the earthquake happens in a place where it affects human

beings, it becomes a natural hazard.
If this natural hazard affects the people and they are unable to
cope with it, the situation becomes a disaster.

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Week 3:

● so called abused sectors and at the lowest levels of society

● their roles is to extend assistance and support to vulnerable

If the earthquake happens in a place where it affects human

If the earthquake happens in a place where it affects human

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