Module 2
H a z a r d Ty p e s A n d H a z a r d M a p p i n g ; Vu l n e r a b i l i t y Ty p e s A n d T h e i r A s s e s s m e n t -
P h y s i c a l , S o c i a l , E c o n o m i c A n d E n v i r o n m e n t a l Vu l n e r a b i l i t y.
Disaster Risk Assessment –Approaches, Procedures
Hazard
A hazard can be defined as a potentially damaging physical event, social and
economic disruption or environmental degradation.
Types of Hazards
Natural and man made
Hazards
►1. Geophysical Hazard
►2. Hydrological Hazard
►3. Meteorological Hazard
►4. Climatological Hazard
►5. Biological Hazard
►6. Extra terrestrial Hazard
Hazards
►1. Geophysical hazard: A hazard originating from solid earth. This term can
be used interchangeably with the term geological hazard.
►2. Hydrological hazard: A hazard caused by the occurrence, movement,
and distribution of the surface and subsurface freshwater and saltwater.
►3. Meteorological hazard: A hazard caused by short-lived, micro- to
mesoscale extreme weather and atmospheric conditions that last from
minutes to days.
Hazards
►4. Climatological hazard: A hazard caused by long-lived, meso- to macro-
scale atmospheric processes ranging from intra-seasonal to multi-decadal
climate variability.
►5. Biological hazard: A hazard caused by the exposure to living organisms
and/or the toxic substances or vector-borne diseases that they may carry.
►6. Extraterrestrial hazard: A hazard caused by asteroids, meteoroids, and
comets as they pass near earth, enter the earth’s atmosphere, and/or strike
the earth, or change in interplanetary conditions that affect the earth’s
Hazard Mapping
Hazard mapping involves a graphical representation of the location, magnitude
and temporal characteristics of hazards on 2 or 3 dimensional surfaces.
The objective of Hazard Mapping
◦ Represent spatial and temporal characteristics of hazard as well as its magnitude
using geographical symbols
Data Requirements of Hazard
Mapping
Spatial characteristics such as location, distribution and dimension; temporal
(duration, speed) and magnitude are the major data requirements for hazard
mapping. Such information can be obtained through the following sources:
►Base Maps: Base maps represent topographic layers of data such as
elevation, roads, water bodies, cultural features and utilities. Creation of a base
map is a time-consuming activity. It is therefore desirable to use an existing
map. It must also have sufficient geographic reference information to orient
the user to the location of the hazard.
Data Requirements of
Hazard Mapping
►Remotely Sensed Images: Satellite images are increasingly becoming
preferred sources of readily available information of locations or events on
earths surface
►Field Data: Through the advances of technology, ground surveying
methods using electronic survey systems like Total Station, the global
positioning systems (GPS) and Laser Scanners, have all greatly increased
opportunities for data capture in the field.
APPROACHES TO HAZARD
MAPPING
Hazard Mapping Using Geographic Information System
(GIS)
Participatory mapping
Hazard Mapping Using Geographic
Information System (GIS)
►GIS is increasingly being utilised for hazard mapping and analysis, as well
as for the application of disaster risk management measures.
►The nature and capability of GIS provides an excellent basis for processing
and presenting hazard information in the form of maps.
►GIS is very useful in arranging a high volume of data necessary to produce a
hazard map.
►The flowchart represents the general procedure for the mapping of hazards in
GIS.
Participatory mapping
Allows for the integration of local level participation and knowledge in map
production and decision making process
It is an interactive process that draws on local peoples knowledge and allows
them to create visual and non visual data to explore social problems,
opportunities and questions
How to conduct Participatory
mapping
First issue of consideration is the “ goal of the work” which outlines the nature of activities to be
done
Once goal is decided, then organization of activities into two – preparation and implementation
Preparation- scouting and designing survey instruments, material, directions etc.
Implementation-
preparation of participants involved (capacity building)
Data collection field trip
Mapping and presentations
Debriefing exercises
Vulnerability
Vulnerability is defined as the degree to which a system is exposed and
susceptible to the adverse effects of a given hazard.
Vulnerability = (Exposure) + (Resistance) + Resilience
Exposure: at risk property and population
Resistance: Measures taken to prevent, avoid or reduce loss
Resilience: Ability to recover to prior state or achieve desired post-disaster
state.
Types of Vulnerability
Physical Vulnerability
Social Vulnerability
Economic Vulnerability
Ecological/Environmental Vulnerability
Physical Vulnerability
Physical Vulnerability: This refers to the potential losses to physical
infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, radio and telecommunication
and other features in the built environment.
Physical vulnerability also includes impacts on the human population in terms
of injuries or deaths.
Vulnerability is analysed per group of constructions (i.e. structural types)
having similar damage performance.
Social Vulnerability:
Social Vulnerability refers to the inability of people, organizations and
societies to withstand adverse impacts of hazards due to characteristics
inherent in society.
It is linked to the level of wellbeing of individuals, communities and society.
Children, aged, pregnant women, physically and mentally challenged, poor,
destitute, social castes etc
Lack of or Limited access to critical services such as communication,
transportation, power supply, water supply, sanitation, etc.
Economic Vulnerability
The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of
individuals, communities and nations.
The poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because they lack the
resources to build sturdy structures in their homes and put other engineering
measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively impacted by
disasters.
Ecological/Environmental
Vulnerability
Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are key aspects of
environmental vulnerability.
•Example: People living in hilly areas become vulnerable because of
environmental degradation. Their habitats have to necessarily be on hill
slopes due to the terrain features. Deforestation and cutting of trees on hill
slopes makes them vulnerable to hazards from landslides
Vulnerability Assessment
the quantification of the degree of loss or susceptibility to an element at risk
Variations exist in the method of quantification of vulnerability based on the
following:
◦ Type of vulnerability being measured, that is, it is physical, social, economic or
ecological.
◦ The scale at which vulnerability is being measured, whether at the individual,
household or community level.
◦ The type of hazard.
Data needed for vulnerability
assessment and their usefulness
◦ Historical data on the magnitude of a hazard and the level of damage it caused to
specific elements such as buildings built from sand Crete or wood.
◦ Socio-economic data such as level of education, access to pipe borne water,
access to secure shelter, social networks, sanitation, income level, access to credit,
access to land, access to technology etc. The emphasis here is on the level of
access that an individual, household or community has to various assets.
◦ Level of exposure to hazardous conditions
◦ Data on policies, institutions and processes which influence capacity of individuals,
households and communities.
Physical vulnerability assessment
Analytical methods
Empirical methods
Socio – Economic Vulnerability
assessment
Socio-economic vulnerability is indicator-based and can be assessed by
analysing the level of exposure and coping mechanisms of individuals,
households and communities
Socio economic indicators
Methods of Representing
Vulnerability
Vulnerability indices: Based on indicators of vulnerability; mostly no direct
relation with the different hazard intensities. These are mostly used for
expressing social, economic and environmental vulnerability.
Vulnerability table: The relation between hazard intensity and degree of
damage can also be given in a table.
Vulnerability curves: These are constructed on the basis of the relation
between hazard intensities and damage data
DISASTER RISK ASSESSMENT
Disaster risk arises out of an interaction between a hazardous condition and
vulnerable elements
Disaster Risk Assessment
◦ Risk assessments form an important aspect of risk reduction
strategies.
◦ Risk assessment - a methodology to determine the likelihood and
magnitude of damage or other consequences by analysing
potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability
that jointly could likely harm exposed people, properties, services,
livelihoods and the environment they depend on.
Components of Risk
Assessment
◦ Risk analysis:
◦ The use of available information to estimate the risk caused by hazards to individuals or
populations, property or the environment.
◦ Risk analyses generally contain the following steps: Hazard identification, hazard
assessment, elements at risk/exposure, vulnerability assessment and risk estimation.
◦ Risk evaluation:
◦ This is the stage at which values and judgement enter the decision process by including
the importance of the risk and associated social, environmental, and economic
consequences, in order to identify a range of alternatives for managing the risk.
Contemporary approaches to risk
assessments
Multi-hazard: The same area may be threatened by different types of hazards. Each of
the hazard scenarios also might have different magnitudes.
Multi-sectoral: Hazards will impact different types of elements at risk.
Multi-level: Risk assessment can be carried out at different levels. Eg: national, regional,
district
Multi-stakeholder: Risk assessment should involve the relevant stakeholders, which can
be individuals, businesses, organizations and authorities.
Multi-phase: Risk assessment should consider actions for response, recovery, mitigation
and preparedness.
Qualitative methods of Risk
Assessment
This involves qualitative descriptions or characterization of risk in terms of
high, moderate and low
Used when hazard info does not allow us to express probability of occurrence
or when it is not possible to estimate the magnitude
In this method risk matrices are constructed
A risk matrix shows on its y-axis probability of an event occurring, while on
the x-axis potential loss.
Other approaches
◦ Semi-quantitative methods: These techniques express risk in terms of risk
indices.
These are numerical values, often ranging between 0 and 1
•Quantitative methods: This aims at estimating the spatial and temporal
probability of risk and its magnitude.
Risk = Hazard * Vulnerability/Capacity
Example of quantitative method
for risk assessment
Population risk
Population risk can be expressed as individual risk or societal risk.
Individual risk is the risk of fatality or injury to any identifiable (named)
individual who lives within the zone impacted by a hazard, or follows a
particular pattern of life that might subject him or her to the consequences of
a hazard.
Individual risk can be calculated as the total risk divided by the population at
risk.
Societal risk is the risk of multiple fatalities or injuries in the society as a
whole, and where society would have to carry the burden of a hazard causing
a number of deaths, injury, financial, environmental, and other losses
Population risk
