[Esip-disasters] Fwd: IRDR DATA Project Publishes Peril Classification and Hazard Glossary (fwd)

Bob Chen bchen at ciesin.columbia.edu
Mon Mar 31 09:53:13 EDT 2014


Thought you might be interested in this new report just released 
Friday, relevant to our discussions. I had mentioned it in our first 
telecon.

http://www.irdrinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IRDR_DATA-Project-Report-No.-1.pdf

Cheers, Bob

*****
Dr. Robert S. Chen
Director, Center for International Earth Science Information Network
  (CIESIN), The Earth Institute, Columbia University
Manager, NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)
P.O. Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 USA
tel. +1 845-365-8952; fax +1 845-365-8922
e-mail: bchen at ciesin.columbia.edu
CIESIN web site: http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu
SEDAC web site: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: IRDR DATA Project Publishes Peril Classification and Hazard Glossary
Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:01:29 +0000
From: IRDR IPO <connect at irdrinternational.org>
Reply-To: IRDR IPO <connect at irdrinternational.org>

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               IRDR DATA Project Publishes Peril Classification and Hazard Glossary

The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme has recently published its Peril
Classification and Hazard Glossary, which summarises the agreement on peril classifications and
hazard definitions by members of the IRDR Disaster Loss Data (DATA) Project Working Group. This
new and revised framework is implementable by loss databases with either a high level of hazard
aggregation (only includes categories such as meteorological or geophysical) that do not
distinguish specific perils, as well as databases that use perils (hurricane, tsunami,
earthquake) rather than the more general categories. In this way, the classification serves the
needs of multiple types of loss databases often managed for very different purposes.

Understanding and documenting impacts from natural hazards is the foundation for decision-making
and policy-setting in disaster risk reduction. The impacts range from human effects such as
displacement, homelessness and fatalities, to environmental (wetland loss, desertification) and
economic losses (damage to property and crops). Documenting impacts in a standardised and
comprehensive way is challenging largely due to the lack of common terminologies for perils,
measurement methodologies, and human loss indicators. The inability to compare losses across
hazards, space and time hampers the assessment of the burden of disasters at global to local
levels. To overcome these challenges, the IRDR programme established the DATA project to study
issues related to the collection, storage, and dissemination of disaster loss data.

The peril glossary offered in this document provides guidelines on event classification and a
unified terminology for operating loss databases only. It is not intended as a comprehensive
list of perils or as a conclusive definitional standard of hazards. This harmonised peril
classification system and definitions serves the international disaster risk reduction community
and contributes to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in regard to improving information on
key hazards and their impacts.

Click here to read the IRDR Peril Classification and Hazard Glossary [PDF 6.87 MB]. 

   About IRDR

IRDR is a decade-long global, trans-disciplinary research programme created to address the major
challenges of natural and human-induced environmental hazards. The programme is jointly
sponsored by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science
Council (ISSC), and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).
The programme’s overarching objective is to work across disciplinary boundaries and to integrate
research expertise from the natural, socioeconomic, health and engineering sciences, as well as
policy-making, coupled with an understanding of the role of communications, and public and
political responses to reduce the risk from disasters. 

   Members of the IRDR DATA Project Working Group

  *  Susan L. CUTTER (Co-Chair), University of South Carolina
  *  Daniele EHRLICH (Co-Chair), EU Joint Research Center
  *  Sisi ZLATANOVA (Co-Chair), Delft University
  *  Robert S. CHEN, Columbia University
  *  Regina BELOW, Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), Université
     Catholique de Louvain
  *  Lucia BEVERE, Swiss Re
  *  Jan EICHNER, Munich Re
  *  Julio SERJE, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)
  *  Carlos VILLACIS, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
  *  Adam SMITH, U.S. National Climatic Data Center/NOAA
  *  Wei-Sen LI, Taiwan National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR)
  *  Maria PATEK, Austrian Government
  *  Frederic ZANETTA, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
  *  Ricardo ZAPATA MARTI, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America (UNECLAC)
  *  Francis GHESQUIERE, The World Bank
  *  Melanie GALL (Ex-Officio), University of South Carolina

Further information about the report or the IRDR DATA project may be obtained from the IRDR’s
International Programme Office (IPO) by contacting the Junior Science Officer, Ms Kerry-Ann
Morris, at the following email address: kerry-ann.morris at irdrinternational.org.


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