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Urban risk assessments: an approach for understanding disaster and climate risk in cities

1 September 2011

This paper proposes a framework for carrying out urban risk assessment, and seeks to strengthen coherence and consensus in how cities can plan for natural disasters and climate change. The paper: (i) presents the case for the need to better understand risks related to natural hazards and climate change in cities; (ii) proposes an integrated approach to practitioners for identifying areas; populations and assets most at risk from the effects of disasters and climate change; and (iii) provides preliminary suggestions for risk reduction through quantification of risk and implementation of preventative programs.

Annexes include:

  • Urban Risk Assessments: Mexico City Metropolitan Area, Mexico; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Jakarta, Indonesia; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; Dakar, Senegal
  • Case Studies: Legazpi, Philippines; Sana’a, Yemen; Bogota, Colombia: Using the Urban Disaster Risk Index
  • Remote Sensing as a Tool for Assessing Urban Risk
  • Community Based Institutional Mapping and Other Participatory Approaches
  • Global, National and Local Responses to Disasters and Climate Change
  • Tools for Climate Risk Assessment
  • Sample Household Urban Risk Questionnaire
  • PAGER Construction Types Used for Building Inventory Development
  • Urban Risk Assessment Template
  • Key Definitions
Source(s): World Bank, the (WB) Publication date: 2011 Number of pages: 186 p.

Download the Working Paper