Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through

analysis and management of the causal factors of disasters. It leads to reduced exposure to
hazards, lessening of vulnerability of people and assets, effective management of land and the
environment and improved preparedness for adverse events. Disaster risk reduction usually requires
long-term planning across sectors and must be integrated into general national and regional
development strategies. DRR strategies usually begin with plans for assessing (a) the hazards and
risks that threaten the target area, (b) the extent of harm that would occur to communities and
infrastructure, and (c) the vulnerable people’s capacities to cope with and recover from possible
disasters.

Disaster - a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society 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.

Interaction between Risk, Hazard, Vulnerability and Capacity

Hazards do not necessarily constitute disaster. Disasters are usually
described in terms of the effects which a hazard has on lives,
property, environment and the cost of recovery or rehabilitation.

Disaster Risk or Risk can be mathematically described as the product of the combination of three
elements that were discussed: hazard, vulnerability and capacity, and it given by the formula.
Hazards will always be present, therefore, disaster reduction strategies primarily include vulnerability
and risk assessment. The following are some factors that can affect the vulnerability of a community:
1. Political factors
I. A community’s vulnerability can be linked to political will and commitment to developmental
concerns
II. Lack of access to resources, infrastructure, basic services and information can increase
vulnerability
2. Economic factors
I. Poverty has the single most important influence to vulnerability
II. Economic status also relates to the capacity of a community to cope and recover from adverse
effects
III. Poverty eradication and creation of sustainable livelihoods are essential part of disaster risk
reduction
3. Physical factors
I. Access to suitable land, proper housing design, building materials and accessibility of
emergency services
II. Poor physical environment exposes people to hazards such as landslides, floods, fires, wind,
disease and epidemics.
4. Social factors
 I. Level of education, training, safety and security, information and awareness, cultural beliefs,
traditional values contribute to social wellbeing
II. Lack of awareness and access to information can result in increase of vulnerability
5. Environmental factors
I. Scarcity of resources in a community can reduce the coping solutions and recovery from a
disaster

PRE-EVENT
The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters.
Prevention expresses the concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse
Prevention impacts through action taken in advance. Can be in the form of proper land use or
using suitable engineering design. (However, oftentimes complete avoidance of
losses is not feasible and the task transforms to that of mitigation)
The lessening or limitation of the adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters.
While the adverse impacts of hazards often cannot be prevented fully, their scale or
Mitigation severity can be substantially lessened by various strategies and actions. Mitigation
measures involve a wide range of elements from engineering techniques to
environmental policies and even public awareness.
The adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected
climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial
Adaptation opportunities. This definition addresses the concerns of climate change and is
sourced from the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC).
The knowledge and capacities developed by governments, professional response
and recovery organizations, communities and individuals to effectively anticipate,
respond to, and recover from, the impacts of likely, imminent or current hazard events
Preparedness or conditions. Preparedness action is carried out within the context of disaster risk
management and aims to build the capacities needed to efficiently manage all types
of emergencies and achieve orderly transitions from response through to sustained
recovery.

The Importance of DRR on one’s Daily Life:

From a development perspective, therefore, disaster risk reduction is vital for building a
more equitable and sustainable future. Making investments in prevention and
preparedness, including through civil defence exercises, is a necessary part of
systematic efforts to increase resilience to disaster.

Five priorities identified for action are:

1) to ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority;

2) to identify, assess, and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning systems;
3) to use knowledge, innovation, and education to build a culture of safety and resilience
at all levels;
4) to reduce the underlying risk factors; and
5) to strengthen disaster preparedness for effective response and recovery at all levels,
from the local to the national.
 Responsibility for disaster risk management does not lie with disaster managers alone. It
is rather a concern for everyone - from citizens who must be empowered to make
decisions which reduce risk, to political leaders, government institutio ns, the private
sector, civil society organisations, professional bodies, and scientific and technical
institutions.

Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction

The key elements and features of CBDRR or CBDM explain the core of community-based
approaches for disaster risk reduction and movement (Shaw, 2012; Victoria, 2002):

 People’s participation is important: Community members are the main actors, involved not
only in the process but its content. They share the benefit or gain through improved disaster risk
reduction and development. Ultimately, this will lead to safer conditions, security of livelihood,
and sustainable development.

 Priorities are set for the most vulnerable groups, families, and people in the
community:Participation from all sectors is required for disaster risk reduction, but priority is
given to the most vulnerable groups—in urban areas the poor or informal settlers, in rural areas
farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous people. The most vulnerable also include the elderly, the
differently abled, children, and women.

 Risk reduction measures are community-specific: Measures provided for risk reduction are
mainly community-specific, which are identified after an analysis of the community’s disaster
risk (hazards, vulnerabilities, and capacities and perceptions of disaster risk).

 Existing capacities and coping mechanism are recognized: The strength of CBDRR lies in
the existing capacities and coping mechanism of the community members. They often lack
material assets but rely heavily on their traditional wisdom, local knowledge and resources,
social organizations, shared values, cooperative coping mechanisms, close family ties, and
perseverance and resourcefulness.

 Disaster risk reduction is linked with development: The aim of CBDRR is to reduce people’s
vulnerabilities by strengthening the capacities of individuals, families, and communities. It
addresses vulnerabilities and the core factors behind it, such as poverty, social inequalities, and
environmental resource depletion and degradation. Ultimately, the idea is to develop a people-
centered development as well as equitable and sustainable development. The goal is to build a
resilient community.

 Outsiders have supporting and facilitating roles: In CBDRR, nongovernmental organizations

(NGOs) support community members, whereas the government role is integral to the
institutionalization of the CBDRR process. Partnerships with less vulnerable groups and other
communities are forged in the interest of disaster risk reduction.

DRR Related Laws and Policies

In recent years, various laws have been signed to strengthen disaster risk reduction and
management in the country.

In May 2010, following the devastation of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the Philippine
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (RA 101211) was signed to reformat the
former National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to the present National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The Department of National Defense, tasked to head the NDRRMC, released in

September 2010 the implementing rules and regulations for the said law.

In December 2012, the Risk Reduction and Preparedness Equipment Protection Act
(RA 10344) was signed, which penalizes the unauthorized taking, stealing, keeping or
tampering of government risk reduction and preparedness equipment, accessories and
similar facilities.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in coordination with NDRRMC,

adopted and promulgated in June 2013 the rules and regulations for the said law.

Over the past 20 years, disasters due to natural hazards have affected 4.4 billion people,
claimed 1.3 million lives and caused 2 trillion USD in economic losses. These disasters
not only brought death and destruction, they did so disproportionately to the poor and
marginalized. Disasters have become one of the main threats to sustainable
development on a global scale, yet they are preventable.

There is widespread agreement that legal frameworks are a critical tool for governments
to shape these choices, both for themselves and for others. This
was recognized by 168 UN Member States in 2005 when they adopted the Hyogo
Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to
Disasters (HFA), and remains so today, as states and other stakeholders discuss its
successor agreement.

With this in mind, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have collaborated on a
multi-country report to assess legal frameworks for DRR in 31 countries. The purpose of
this report is to support legislators, public administrators, and DRR and development
practitioners and advocates to prepare and implement effective legal frameworks for
disaster risk management (DRM) that are adapted to their own country’s needs, drawing
on examples and experience from other countries.