Community Disaster Risk Management - Risk Assessment Toolkit

Risk Assessment Toolkit

The negative impacts of any emergencies or disasters highlight the importance of the all-hazards risk management approach in all emergency preparedness and response actions, which builds on multi-sectorial and whole-of-society approach to ensure inclusive and non-discriminatory process of developing capacities in the communities.

Whilst all communities and countries are at risk of being exposed to all type of disasters, disaster risks vary between different countries and communities [1]. Therefore, a risk management approach emphasises on assessing risks to guide timely and effective actions and to provide evidence to strategies and policies for better prevention, preparedness, response and recovery [2].

Disaster risks in communities are directly influenced by the communities’ exposure to hazards, their vulnerabilities to those hazards, and their risk management capacity in all phases of disasters. Therefore, countries and communities can most effectively minimise the adverse impacts of emergencies with risk-specific capacities through preventing or mitigating impact of hazards, reducing exposure to those hazards, minimising vulnerabilities, and/or strengthening their capacities [3].

WHO developed Strategic Tool for Assessing Risks (STAR) in 2021, which is a comprehensive, easy-to-use toolkit and approach to assess risks to guide actions, inform planning and provide evidence to strategies and policies for better prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, which are critical to whole of society actions for emergencies and disasters.

Therefore, in order to develope, implement and scale up Health EDRM related policies and programmes to increase readiness for likely risks, it is crucial to estimate disaster risks and their underlying risk factors through assessing:

1. Severity of hazards to which populations are exposed,
2. Vulnerability of of locations, population groups in communitites,
3. Existing local capacities to respond to emergencies.

1. Identify Hazards

Hazards is a process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation [3]. 

The UNDRR/ISC Sendai Hazard Definition and Classification Review Technical Report (2020) includes a common set of 302 hazard information profiles to governments and stakeholders to inform their strategies and actions on risk reductions and management [5].

2. Identify Vulnerable Population

As explained in the WHO Health EDRM Knowledge Hub: Vulnerability and Vulnerable Populations, vulnerability refers to the characteristics and circumstances of an individual, community, systems or assets that can influence their susceptability to the impact of a hazard and is dependent on various risk factors [3], including:

• • Population demographic: e.g. gender, age, chronic conditions, immunity
  • Social factors: e.g. literacy, unemployment, poverty, income status, poor social network
  • Environmental factors: e.g. unsafe drinking-water, sanitation, food insecurity, unplanned urbanisation, climate change, proximity of mosquito vector breeding sites, and conflict
  • Political factors: e.g. luck of disaster risk management policies and programmes

Vulnerable populations may have high disaster risk due to the driving factors, for exampl

- In areas affected by climate and environmental threats

- Where essential services are inadequate, such as water and sanitation

- breakdown of family/community structures and network

There are multiple approaches to access vulnerability of populations. Data on disease mortality, morbidity, health risk factors, hazard exposure and coping capacity are analysed to identify most-at-risk populations, disadvantage or marginalised groups examine social-economic status, structural and cultural identity, and geographical condition.

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3. Assess local disaster response capacity

Capacity refers to the combination of all the strengths, attributes and resources available within an organization, community or society to manage and reduce disaster risks and strengthen resilience.

Coping capacity is the ability of people, organisations and systems, using available skills and resources, to manage adverse conditions, risk or disasters. This requires continuing awareness, resources and good management, both in normal times as well as during disasters or adverse conditions. Coping capacities contribute to the reduction of disaster risks.

highlight the importance of understanding that there is much capacity within communities and they are often the first responders.

• Hospital Safety Index: guide for evaluators, 2nd ed: Hospital Safety Index is a tool, widely used by health authorities in all contexts across the world. This Guide for evaluators for the Hospital Safety Index provides a step-by-step explanation of how to use the Safe Hospitals Checklist, and how the evaluation can be used to obtain a rating of the structural and nonstructural safety, and the emergency and disaster management capacity, of the hospital. The results of the evaluation enable hospital’s own safety index to be calculated.

• WHO Checklists for Assess vulnerabilities in Health Care Facilities in the Context of Climate Change. This guide provides specific checklists to assess risks, vulnerabilities and impacts at the level of health care facilities. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240022904