Decision support systems for risk mapping: viewing the risk from the hazards perspective

Setting as central theme the response of stakeholders to the challenges and offers of Risk Analysis, the paper proposes an approach meant to facilitate risk communication: mapping risk from the hazards perspective--that is, emphasizing the consequence-related factor in the standard risk representations. A working demonstration is presented to illustrate the concept, in relation to a decision support system (DSS) design that has caught, over the past few years, the interest of several authorities and forae in Switzerland and elsewhere, providing for useful exchanges between the risk community and stakeholders from major industries, infrastructure operations, finances and other areas.