Disaster Risk Assessment or Analysis
• A methodology to determine the nature and extent of risk by analysing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of vulnerability that together could potentially harm exposed people, property, services, livelihoods and the environment on which they depend.
• Risk assessments (and associated risk mapping) include:
• A review of the technical characteristics of hazards such as their location, intensity, frequency and probability;
• The analysis of exposure and vulnerability including the physical, social, health, economic and environmental dimensions;
• The evaluation of the effectiveness of prevailing and alternative coping capacities in respect to likely risk scenarios. This series of activities is sometimes known as a risk analysis process.
• A qualitative or quantitative approach to determine the nature and extent of disaster risk by analysing potential hazards and evaluating existing conditions of exposure and vulnerability that together could harm people, property, services, livelihoods and the environment on which they depend.
• Steps in Risk Assessment: Risk Assessment (RA) consists of the following steps
Figure: Steps of disaster assessment
Hazard Assessment: This stage involves identifying past and potential hazards in a given area. It serves as the foundation for subsequent assessments since different hazards require distinct methods and tools for evaluation.
For instance, earthquake analysis necessitates specific instruments and expertise, which differ from those used for landslides or floods.
The assessment further involves examining the frequency, seasonal patterns, magnitude, intensity, geographical spread, and underlying causes of these hazards.
Vulnerability Assessment: This step focuses on identifying elements at risk, assessing their level of vulnerability, and understanding the factors contributing to their susceptibility.
It involves creating an inventory of all potentially affected elements such as people, buildings, and resources.
The degree of vulnerability of these elements is then evaluated, along with factors that increase their risk exposure.
Additionally, a critical facility analysis is conducted to assess the vulnerability of essential infrastructures like hospitals, schools, religious centers, and civic buildings that play a vital role in daily life.
This analysis also includes reviewing historical records of hazard occurrences in these key facilities to understand their exposure and susceptibility to future disasters.
Capacity Assessment: Capacity Assessment refers to the process of identifying the existing strengths and resources that can help mitigate risks or lessen the impact of a disaster. This involves evaluating a community's resources, including skills, expertise, equipment, and infrastructure.
Additionally, the availability and readiness of these resources are assessed to determine how quickly they can be mobilized and utilized in times of need.
Another important step is to find out how durable and long lasting these resources are and what is the level of their operational integrity (Ability to complete tasks without supervision).
4. People’s perception of Risk: The process of finding out the perceptions of heterogeneous groups in the community regarding the disasters, hazards and risks that they are facing