From: Channel TenForty
Date: Wed Jun 21, 2000 7:44 pm
Subject: R&D: Faces of Disaster

From a lecture by Warren Lancaster on R&D. Any observation, comments, additions or missing points on this?

DISASTER = V + H

V = Vulnerability
H = Hazard

Vulnerability features of disaster:

Underlying Causes
- Political Structure
- Economic System
- Armed Conflict

Dynamic Pressures
- Lack of education,
training & skills

Unsafe Condition - Physical Environment (Sanitation & Pollution)
- Local Economy

Macro Factors - Urbanization
- Population Expansion & massive migration
- Debt Repayment

Hazardous Trigger Agents of a disaster:

- Earthquakes
- Highwinds (typhoon, hurricane, etc.)
- Flooding
- Drought
- Fire

and, perhaps,

- War
- Volcanic Eruption
- etc.

Observation:
War is man made and may not be in the category of hazardous trigger agents. In the Vulnerability underlying causes, armed conflict is included. Armed conflict is man made like war.