RISK

Since the 1970s, Disaster Risk has been understood as a compound event resulting from the intersection of a hazardous event (flood, drought, earthquakes, tropical cyclones,…), the exposure (human population, buildings, ecosystems or other assets) and the vulnerability of this exposure (the susceptibility of an exposed element to be impacted by a hazardous event of a given intensity).
However, exposure, hazards susceptibility and vulnerability are constantly evolving given increase population, climate change, ecosystem decline and change in socio-economics. This means that disaster risk is dynamic and needs to be regularly updated. The links between disaster risk, global environmental changes and sustainability nexus is explained here.
Here we are providing access to data related to disaster risk, we are also showing how ecoystems can be used to reduce the level of losses (see Eco-DRR platform).
Some of the data included here are available in near-real time, such as e.g. the detection of forest fires or earthquakes hazards (see WESR-Risk)
 

Definitions :

Risk:  The combination of the probability of an event and its negative consequences.
Disaster Risk: The potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur to a particular community or a society over some specified future time period.
Hazard: A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.
Exposure: People, property, systems, or other elements present in hazard zones that are thereby subject to potential losses.
Vulnerability: The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.
Coping capacity: The ability of people, organizations and systems, using available skills and resources, to face and manage adverse conditions, emergencies or disasters.
Resilience: The ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions.