lecture 1 - Myweb @ CW Post

Developed countries overall experience much higher monetary losses and low human
losses. Developing countries have high casualties and more modest monetary
losses due to less development.
Definitions
Hazard (H) refers to the possibility of a dangerous event. Hazard can be expressed as
a statistical probability of a given magnitude event occurring in a specific area within
a specified length of time.
Vulnerability (V): the level of loss expected from an extreme event (of a given
magnitude). It can be quantified from 0 (no loss) to 1 (total loss).
Specific Risk (Rs): the probability of a loss. Quantitatively, is is the product of Hazard
and Vulnerability (Rs = H x V).
Net Impact: the difference between disaster losses and the benefits of using the
hazardous area.
Medical Consequences
Mortality: number of deaths
Morbidity: number of injured
Traumas: numbers of burns, contusions, fractures, lesions, etc.
morbidity > mortality in earthquakes and hurricanes
mortality > morbidity in landslides, floods, volcanic eruptions
Types of Disasters
geophysical origin: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, etc.
climatic origin: hurricanes tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, floods, drought, fire, etc.
biological origin: epidemics, parasite invasions, etc.
human origin: warfare, terrorism, urban fires, building collapse, etc.
Recurrence Intervals
Low or moderate magnitude events generally occur frequently while large magnitude, or
extreme events generally occur rarely.
The Disaster Cycle
Impact - Response - Recovery - Mitigation - Preparation - Next Impact