290126 VO Multi-hazard risk assessment (2017W)

The course explains how to conduct a risk assessment using spatial information on hazards, elements at risk and vulnerability with the aid of GIS and remote sensing, and how this information can be used in risk management, with a focus on urban areas. This course provides an overview of the various approaches and steps involved in spatial multi-hazard risk assessment related to natural hazards. Various approaches are presented, depending on the data availability and objectives of the study. Methods are presented to generate elements-at-risk databases with emphasis on population and building information, as these are the most used categories for loss estimation. Vulnerability approaches are discussed, with emphasis on the methods used to define physical vulnerability of buildings and population, and indicator-based approaches used for a holistic approach, also incorporating social, economic and environmental vulnerability, and capacity. Qualitative risk assessment methods such as Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation will be treated, and Quantitative Risk Assessment is carried out using computer scripts. The course consists of lectures and exercises, using Open Source Geographic Information Systems (ILWIS and Q-GIS). The assessment is done through an exam. This course is closely related to the seminar on Analysing changing risk and the conservatorium Methods for analysing disaster risk assessment, and students are advised to select all three.