Hazard Mapping and Risk Assessment

Modern disaster risk reduction rests on a foundational conceptual formula, widely used by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR): risk is a function of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability, moderated by a society's coping capacity. A hazard, such as an earthquake fault or a floodplain, only becomes a disaster risk when people, buildings, or economic assets are exposed to it and are vulnerable to its effects. This framework was formally codified in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015, which succeeded the earlier Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015) and shifted global policy emphasis from post-disaster response toward preventive understanding and reduction of underlying risk factors. The Sendai Framework's four priorities for action — understanding disaster risk, strengthening governance, investing in resilience, and enhancing preparedness for effective response — place hazard mapping and risk assessment at the very start of the entire disaster management cycle.