Basic Concepts of DRR and DRRM
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a term used for reducing and preventing disaster risks. It is founded
on the principle that while hazards are inevitable, its adverse effects like lost lives and/or destruction
of property are not. There are steps that we can do to ensure reduction of risks. DRR actions can be
political, technical, social and economic.
Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of several things: the exposure to a
hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and the insufficient capacity or measures to
reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.
Disaster Impacts:
◆ loss of life
◆ Injury
◆ Disease
◆ other negative effects on human, physical, mental and social well-being,
◆ damage to property
◆ destruction of assets
◆ loss of services, social
◆ economic disruption and environmental degradation
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
❖ 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 the:
(a) Hazards and risks that threaten the target area,
(b) Extent of harm that would occur to communities and infrastructure,
(c) Vulnerable people’s capacities to cope with and recover from possible disasters (Ochoa, 2018).
Key Principles of DRRM
The key principles of DRR justify why certain changes have to be made and explain the urgency of
creating a DRRM plan. Key principles should be able to make people realize why disaster plans must
be a priority in every community especially those that are vulnerable to hazards. All DRRM are created
on the following premises:
1. Development can either increase or decrease disaster risk.
When development takes place, disaster risk is always a threat but it can be avoided if localities have
effective and functional disaster prevention and mitigation plans.
2. DRRM policies, laws, and regulations can save lives if properly and strictly implemented in the
community. Action is the key component of DRRM. Policies, laws, and regulations are useless if it is
not properly implemented. Earthquake drills, fire drills, lock-up drills are very important not only in
schools but also in the community because the community is the front liner of DRRM. The ultimate
purpose of DRRM is to save lives and properties.
3. The main objective of DRRM is to build a resilient community. If community members are well
prepared and equipped with sufficient knowledge, the impact of disaster can be lessened.
Elements of Disaster Risk Reduction
PRE-EVENT
PREVENTION
The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters. Prevention expresses the
concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse impacts through action taken in advance.
Can be in the form of proper land use or using suitable engineering design.
, 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 severity can be substantially
lessened by various strategies band actions.
ADAPTATION
The adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or
their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
PREPAREDNESS
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 or conditions.
POST-EVENT
RESPONSE
The provision of emergency services and public assistance 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. Disaster response is predominantly focused on immediate and short-term needs
and is sometimes called “disaster relief”.
RECOVERY
The restoration, and improvement where appropriate, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of
disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors. The recovery task of
rehabilitation and reconstruction begins soon after the emergency phase has ended, and should be
based on pre-existing strategies and policies that facilitate clear institutional responsibilities for
recovery action and enable public participation.
Disaster Risk Reduction: Why is it important?
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education is crucial for all communities living in disaster prone areas.
Asia Pacific Region, where Philippines is located, is considered as the most disaster prone region in
the world, facing numerous hazards, from severe flooding to storms to volcanic eruptions to tsunamis
and earthquakes.
A disaster risk reduction assists us to consider our emergency response activities in light of existing
and new disaster risks. This enables us to design or adjust our activities so that people and
communities become safer and more disaster-resilient, as well as safeguarding efforts to create and
expand enabling conditions for sustainable poverty alleviation and development.
Building resilience is the main importance of disaster risk reduction. Disaster risk reduction is vital
for building a more equitable and sustainable future.
Making investments in prevention and preparedness, including through civil defense 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 institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, professional
bodies, and scientific and technical institutions.
(Clark, Helen 2012)
Risk communication must be clear and simple. In our current times, to communicate risks effectively
with populations, communities, families and individuals is essential for everyone to be better prepared
when disaster and crisis hit. This is a challenging task, as normally people don’t want to hear about
Disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a term used for reducing and preventing disaster risks. It is founded
on the principle that while hazards are inevitable, its adverse effects like lost lives and/or destruction
of property are not. There are steps that we can do to ensure reduction of risks. DRR actions can be
political, technical, social and economic.
Disasters are often described as a result of the combination of several things: the exposure to a
hazard; the conditions of vulnerability that are present; and the insufficient capacity or measures to
reduce or cope with the potential negative consequences.
Disaster Impacts:
◆ loss of life
◆ Injury
◆ Disease
◆ other negative effects on human, physical, mental and social well-being,
◆ damage to property
◆ destruction of assets
◆ loss of services, social
◆ economic disruption and environmental degradation
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
❖ 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 the:
(a) Hazards and risks that threaten the target area,
(b) Extent of harm that would occur to communities and infrastructure,
(c) Vulnerable people’s capacities to cope with and recover from possible disasters (Ochoa, 2018).
Key Principles of DRRM
The key principles of DRR justify why certain changes have to be made and explain the urgency of
creating a DRRM plan. Key principles should be able to make people realize why disaster plans must
be a priority in every community especially those that are vulnerable to hazards. All DRRM are created
on the following premises:
1. Development can either increase or decrease disaster risk.
When development takes place, disaster risk is always a threat but it can be avoided if localities have
effective and functional disaster prevention and mitigation plans.
2. DRRM policies, laws, and regulations can save lives if properly and strictly implemented in the
community. Action is the key component of DRRM. Policies, laws, and regulations are useless if it is
not properly implemented. Earthquake drills, fire drills, lock-up drills are very important not only in
schools but also in the community because the community is the front liner of DRRM. The ultimate
purpose of DRRM is to save lives and properties.
3. The main objective of DRRM is to build a resilient community. If community members are well
prepared and equipped with sufficient knowledge, the impact of disaster can be lessened.
Elements of Disaster Risk Reduction
PRE-EVENT
PREVENTION
The outright avoidance of adverse impacts of hazards and related disasters. Prevention expresses the
concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse impacts through action taken in advance.
Can be in the form of proper land use or using suitable engineering design.
, 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 severity can be substantially
lessened by various strategies band actions.
ADAPTATION
The adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or
their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
PREPAREDNESS
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 or conditions.
POST-EVENT
RESPONSE
The provision of emergency services and public assistance 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. Disaster response is predominantly focused on immediate and short-term needs
and is sometimes called “disaster relief”.
RECOVERY
The restoration, and improvement where appropriate, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of
disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors. The recovery task of
rehabilitation and reconstruction begins soon after the emergency phase has ended, and should be
based on pre-existing strategies and policies that facilitate clear institutional responsibilities for
recovery action and enable public participation.
Disaster Risk Reduction: Why is it important?
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) education is crucial for all communities living in disaster prone areas.
Asia Pacific Region, where Philippines is located, is considered as the most disaster prone region in
the world, facing numerous hazards, from severe flooding to storms to volcanic eruptions to tsunamis
and earthquakes.
A disaster risk reduction assists us to consider our emergency response activities in light of existing
and new disaster risks. This enables us to design or adjust our activities so that people and
communities become safer and more disaster-resilient, as well as safeguarding efforts to create and
expand enabling conditions for sustainable poverty alleviation and development.
Building resilience is the main importance of disaster risk reduction. Disaster risk reduction is vital
for building a more equitable and sustainable future.
Making investments in prevention and preparedness, including through civil defense 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 institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, professional
bodies, and scientific and technical institutions.
(Clark, Helen 2012)
Risk communication must be clear and simple. In our current times, to communicate risks effectively
with populations, communities, families and individuals is essential for everyone to be better prepared
when disaster and crisis hit. This is a challenging task, as normally people don’t want to hear about
