Increased human risk caused by cascading hazards - A framework

Area of Science:

• Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Risk Assessment
• Disaster Management

Background:

• Cascading hazards, frequently occurring, pose significant risks due to amplified dangers.
• Existing risk assessment methods inadequately quantify human risks associated with cascading events.
• Failure to anticipate these amplified risks can lead to severe societal and environmental consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an improved framework for quantifying human risk from cascading hazards.
• To enhance the scientific anticipation and preparedness for intensified hazards.
• To address the limitations in current risk assessment methodologies for complex disaster scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel framework integrating hazard interactions and element vulnerabilities.
• Quantitative analysis of human risk considering the chain effects of multiple hazards.
• Application of the framework to a case study involving seismic-induced cascading hazards.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework effectively quantifies human risk by considering inter-hazard and inter-vulnerability dynamics.
• The case study demonstrated the framework's utility in assessing risks from sequential hazards like landslides, debris flows, damming, and flooding.
• Improved quantification of human risk associated with cascading events.

Conclusions:

• The developed framework offers a more comprehensive approach to human risk assessment for cascading hazards.
• Enhanced preparedness and mitigation strategies can be formulated based on this improved risk quantification.
• The study highlights the critical need to address cascading effects in disaster risk management.