Our current risk landscape is increasingly interconnected, with hazards occurring simultaneously, cascading or cumulating over time. This demands a much better understanding of the underlying interdependencies and amplification of hazards and vulnerabilities. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, therefore, calls for a multi-hazard approach and expands the scope of disaster risk reduction to biological, environmental, geological, hydrometeorological and technological hazards.
This project stems from the partnership agreement between UNDRR and the ISC. In May 2019, the two organizations jointly established a Technical Working Group (TWG) to identify the full scope of hazards relevant to the Sendai Framework and the scientific definitions of these hazards, drawing on the internationally agreed UN definitions and available scientific literature.
Building on existing hazard definitions and other technical expertise in various sectors, the TWG brings together technical experts from relevant science groups, UN agencies, the private sector and other partners to develop comprehensive technical guidance for the full scope of hazards comprised by the Sendai Framework.
The project aims to:
- define the full range of hazards that are encompassed in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
- provide a scientific definition of all the hazards identified, drawing mostly on the internationally agreed UN definition and available scientific literature.
Activities and impact
- 2019: ISC and the UNDRR sign a partnership agreement and establish the hazard definition project as a first collaboration.
- 2019: Work by the ISC’s Technical Working Group is highlighted at the 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, Switzerland.
- July 2020: The Hazard Definition & Classification Technical Working Group published a new report on hazards definition with six key recommendations, peer-reviewed by the Technical Hazards Task Team and the ISC science community.
Hazard Information Profiles
This report is a Supplement to the UNDRR-ISC Hazard Definition and Classification Review – Technical report released in July 2020. Aligned with the list of hazards published in the Technical Report, this Supplement comprises of a description of each of the 302 hazard information profiles (HIPs), developed using a consultative process by scientists and experts across the globe.
- April 2021: The project team launched an online survey for the development of a global science agenda on risk.
- April 2021: Publication of a supplement to the July 2020 report.
- March 2022: The ISC, UNDRR and Risk Knowledge Action Network released a briefing note on Systemic Risk, outlining an integrated perspective to understand and respond to the cascading, wide-ranging effects of systemic and uncertain risks which face the world today.
Systemic Risk
Sillmann, J., Christensen, I., Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Huang-Lachmann, J., Juhola, S., Kornhuber, K., Mahecha, M., Mechler, R., Reichstein, M., Ruane, A.C., Schweizer, P.-J. and Williams, S. 2022. ISC-UNDRR-RISK KAN Briefing note on systemic risk, Paris, France, International Science Council, https://doi.org/10.24948/2022.01
- August 2023: the Steering Group is established to scope and lead the review of Hazard Information Profiles. Eight Technical Teams for eight hazard types are formed.
- August 2023 – onwards: monthly meetings take place. The Technical Teams engage additional expert to do the review.
- February 2024: In-person meeting of the Steering Group took place, resulting in the decision to establish a group on multi-hazard context and another group on machine actionability. Another group of HIPs users will be established to collect feedback.
The revised HIPs will be launched at the Global Platform for DRR on 2-6 June 2025, together with a report to guide HIPs users. Additional publications are planned, with a focus on the multi-hazards approach in the HIPs.
Steering Group
- Virginia Murray, Chair
- Andrea Hinwood
- Anne-Sophie Stevance
- Bapon Fakhruddin
- Jenty Kirsch-Wood
- Jim Douris
- John Rees
- Justin Ginnetti
- Katie Peters
- Michael Nagy
- Nicholas Bishop
- Nick Moody
- Ohran Osmani
- Osvaldo Luiz Leal de Moraes
- Simon Hodson
- Tom De Groeve
- Qudsia Huda
- Richard Hartshorn
- Urbano Fra Paleo
- Victoria Hollertz
- Wirya Khim
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