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'\^o- 


J 


Office  of  the  United  Nations 
Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator 

CUNDRO:) 


N3tural  Disasters 


Vulnerability  Analysis 


Report  of  Expert  Group  Meeting 
(9-12  July  1979) 


Office  of  the  United  Nations 
Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator 

CUNDRO3 


Natural  Disasters 


Vulnerability  Analysis 


• 


Report  of  Expert  Group  Meeting 
(9-12  July  1979) 


BOSTON 

PUBLIC 

LIBRARY 


.M32 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/naturaldisastersOOoffi 


FOREWORD 


During  the  last  two  decades  natural  disasters  have  tended  to  be  more  destructive  as  they 
affect  ever  larger  concentrations  of  population.  While  the  response  of  the  International  Commu- 
nity has  primarily  focussed  on  relief  action,  it  is  now  also  realized  that  the  actual  and  potential 
consequences  of  natural  hazards  are  becoming  so  serious  and  so  increasingly  global  in  scale,  that 
much  greater  emphasis  will  henceforth  have  to  be  given  to  pre-disaster  planning  and  prevention. 

The  effects  of  natural  phenomena  must  be  viewed  not  only  in  humanitarian  and  broad 
social  terms,  but  also  in  economic  and  development  terms  since  natural  disasters  are  indeed  a 
formidable  obstacle  to  economic  and  social  development.  When  calculated  as  a  percentage  of 
gross  national  product,  the  losses  caused  by  disasters  in  many  disaster-prone  developing  countries 
more  than  off-set  economic  growth.  Consequently,  there  has  been  a  growing  awareness  by 
Governments  of  the  need  to  pay  more  attention  to  disaster  preparedness  and  prevention,  and  to 
recognize  the  fact  that  pre-disaster  planning  should  be  an  integral  part  of  national  development 
policy. 

In  the  developing  countries,  rapid  urbanization  and  the  increase  of  populations  living  or 
settling  in  hazardous  areas  are  matters  of  growing  concern,  as  they  contribute  to  ever  heavier 
losses  of  life  and  to  mounting  costs  of  disaster  damage.  In  disaster-prone  areas,  orderly  urban 
expansion  becomes  prohibitive  unless  investments  in  infrastructure,  housing  and  other  services 
are  protected  from  such  damage  at  all  stages  of  their  development. 

The  formulation  and  enforcement  of  land-use  policies  and  plans,  as  well  as  appropriate 
building  codes,  are  key  factors  for  the  orderly  establishment  and  safe  growth  of  human  settle- 
ments. These  should  logically  be  based  on  knowledge  of  existing  natural  hazards  present  and  on 
analysis  of  the  disaster  risks  which  may  result.  This  method  of  risk  identification  and  evalu- 
ation has  been  referred  to  in  the  past  by  UNDRO  as  'Vulnerability  analysis".  Through  vulner- 
ability analysis  it  becomes  possible  to  make  rational  decisions  on  how  best  the  effects  of  poten- 
tially disastrous  natural  events  can  be  mitigated  through  proper  planning,  as  well  as  through  a 
system  of  permanent  controls. 

The  concept  of  "vulnerability  analysis"  has  over  the  years  been  developed  by  UNDRO, 
notably  in  the  UNDRO  Compendium  of  current  knowledge  on  disaster  prevention  and  miti- 
gation (Volumes:  3  —  Seismological  Aspects,  4  —  Meteorological  Aspects,  5  —  Land  Use  Aspects, 
6  —  Engineering  Aspects  (under  preparation),  7  —  Economic  Aspects),  and  in  two  technical 
co-operation  projects  in  pre-disaster  planning:  Composite  Vulnerability  Analysis,  A  methodology 
and  case  study  of  the  Metro  Manila  Area,  Report  of  an  UNDRO  Technical  Advisory  Mission, 
1977;  and  Planning  for  the  Prevention  of  Natural  Disasters,  Central  American  Regional  Project, 
Report  of  a  Technical  Co-operation  Mission  1978. 


Ill 


In  1979,  after  six  years  of  research  and  development,  UNDRO  convened  an  international 
Expert  Group  Meeting  of  scientists  and  planners  specialized  in  the  major  natural  hazards  of 
meteorological,  geological  and  geophysical  origin,  to  review  UNDRO 's  work  in  vulnerability 
analysis,  provide  further  guidance  on  defining  concepts  and  developing  methodologies  for  apply- 
ing the  results  of  such  analysis  to  practical  physical  planning  and  building  techniques  in  disaster- 
prone  developing  countries,  and  lastly  to  advise  UNDRO  on  its  further  activities  in  this  field. 
The  present  publication  is  the  report  of  that  meeting. 


Geneva 
August  1980 


IV 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

I.      INTRODUCTION    1 

II.      ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MEETING  AND  PRELIMINARY  DISCUSSIONS 2 

ni.      CLARIFICATION  OF  CONCEPTS  AND  TERMS 5 

IV.      TYPES  OF  INFORMATION  REQUIRED 8 

4.1  Natural  hazard 8 

4.2  Vulnerability    8 

4.3  Elements  at  risk 9 

V.       METEOROLOGICAL  AND  HYDROLOGICAL  PHENOMENA 10 

5.1  Tropical  cyclones 10 

5.2  Tornadoes    11 

5.3  River  floods 11 

5.4  Storm  surges 12 

5.5  Avalanches 12 

5.6  Landslides    12 

VI.      EARTHQUAKES 13 

6.1  Seismic  aspects 13 

6.1.1  Calculation  of  seismic  hazard 13 

6.1.2  Example  of  an  empirical  formula 16 

6.1.3  The  activity  of  faults   16 

6.1 .4  Fault  recognition 17 

6.2  Hazards  during  earthquakes 17 

6.2.1  Fractured  bedrock  on  steep  slopes 17 

6.2.2  Loose  surface  materials  on  steep  slopes   18 

6.2.3  Liquefaction  of  loose  flat-lying  sedimentary  deposits 18 

6.2.4  Cohesive  natural  embankments,  levees  and  earth  dams 19 

6.3  Landslides    19 

6.3.1  Concepts  and  risk  management    19 

6.3.2  Information  required  to  assess  risk 20 

6.3.3  Advice  on  using  information    20 

6.3.4  Composite  risk  and  mapping    22 

6.4  Seismic  microzonation    22 

VII.      VOLCANOES    23 

7.1  Introduction 23 

7.2  Hazard  zoning    23 

7.3  Risk  assessment  and  mitigation    24 

7.4  Methods  of  hazard  assessment   24 


VIII.      RISK  ANALYSIS  -  A  METHODOLOGY 25 

8.1  Factors  affecting  impact 25 

8.2  Method  of  approximation    26 

8.3  Simulated  impacts   26 

8.4  Possible  application  to  urban  and  regional  planning 27 

IX.  RISK  ANALYSIS  AND  PHYSICAL  PLANNING 28 

X.  RECOMMENDATIONS 30 


ANNEXES 

I.      Agenda 32 

II.      List  of  participants 33 

III.  Note  on  the  definition  of  the  concept  of  vulnerability  and  on  the  evaluation 

of  the  risk  attached  to  natural  phenomena 35 

IV.  Questionnaire  I  —  An  example  of  a  questionnaire  on  disaster  damage    39 

Questionnaire  II  —    A  Survey  of  industrial  establishments  to  assess  the  damage 

caused  by  recent  floods  and  landslides  in  the  Nilgiris  district 43 

Questionnaire  III  —  Proforma  for  collecting  the  particulars  of  damage  caused 
by  the  recent  floods  and  landslides  in  Nilgiris  from  various  governmental,  semi- 
government  organizations  and  local  bodies 46 

V.       UNDRO  Publications    49 

UNCHS/Habitat  Publications 49 


VI 


I.  INTRODUCTION 


The  United  Nations  Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator,  Mr.  Faruk  N.  Berkol,  convened  an  Expert 
Group  Meeting  on  Vulnerability  Analysis  which  was  held  at  the  United  Nations  Office  at  Geneva 
from  9  to  12  July  1979.  The  meeting  was  attended  by  specially  invited  experts,  by  representa- 
tives of  U.N.  Agencies  and  other  organizations  concerned  with  natural  disasters,  and  by  staff  of 
the  Office  of  the  United  Nations  Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator  (UNDRO).  The  Agenda  for  the 
meeting  is  given  in  Annex  I  and  a  list  of  participants  is  given  in  Annex  II. 

Opening  the  meeting,  the  Co-ordinator  welcomed  the  participants  and  stressed  the  funda- 
mental importance  of  applying  vulnerability  analysis  prior  to  the  development  of  any  locality, 
country  or  region  in  which  natural  hazards  pose  a  threat  to  himian  life  property.  The  subject 
should  be  of  major  concern  not  only  to  UNDRO  but  to  everyone  involved  in  planning  and 
development  in  areas  prone  to  natural  disasters.  The  Co-ordinator  described  the  functions  of  his 
Office  in  regard  to  disaster  rehef  co-ordination,  disaster  preparedness  and  disaster  prevention 
as  conferred  by  the  United  Nations  General  Assembly.  The  Co-ordinator  expressed  the  firm 
conviction  that  all  activities  related  to  pre-disaster  planning  should  be  based  on  a  sound  know- 
ledge and  understanding  of  the  hazards  and  risks  involved.  He  explained  that  as  a  result  of  the 
study  of  the  problems  caused  by  natural  disasters,  new  methods  and  techniques  for  investigating 
v\ilnerability  were  constantly  being  developed,  and  that  it  was  essential  that  these  should  be  read- 
ily applicable  in  disaster-prone  developing  countries.  For  such  countries  the  aim  should  be  to 
establish  reliable  and  straight-forward  techniques  to  assess  vulnerability  at  all  scales,  from  the 
national  level  to  the  individual  site.  The  Co-ordinator  gave  this  as  the  theme  of  the  meeting. 

The  Director  of  UNDRO 's  Relief  Co-ordination  Preparedness  and  Prevention  Division 
summarized  the  main  points  to  be  considered  by  the  meeting  as  follows: 

•  Definitions  and  concepts  in  risk  management; 

•  Means  of  improving  the  understanding  and  co-operation  among  scientists,  planners  and 
administrators; 

•  The  further  development  of  techniques  in  vulnerability  analysis  and  risk  management. 


n.  ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  MEETING  AND  PRELIMINARY  DISCUSSIONS 


Dr.  S.  T.  Algermissen  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  meeting.  It  was  agreed  that  discussions 
would  take  place  alternately  in  plenary  session  and  in  two  working  groups,  one  to  concentrate 
on  geophysical  phenomena  (earthquakes,  volcanoes,  earth  movements,  etc.)  and  the  other  to 
deal  with  atmospheric  phenomena  (tropical  cyclones,  tornadoes,  thunderstorms,  etc.).  Professor 
N.  Ambraseys  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  working  group  on  geophysical  phenomena,  and 
Professor  J.  Dooge  was  elected  Chairman  of  the  working  group  on  atmospheric  phenomena. 
Mr.  P.  J.  Meade  was  appointed  Rapporteur. 

The  Chairman  initiated  a  general  discussion  on  the  questions  the  meeting  needed  to  exam- 
ine, and  invited  UNDRO  representatives  to  give  additional  guidance  or  explanations  on  detailed 
aspects  of  vulnerability  analysis. 

The  Chairman  then  called  upon  the  representatives  of  other  organizations  (see  Annex  II) 
to  make  statements.  All  statements  c^eed  on  the  importance  of  the  questions  to  be  considered 
by  the  meeting  and  examples  were  given  of  the  necessity  to  carry  out  vulnerabUity  analysis 
during  the  pre-investment  stage  of  development  projects  in  disaster-prone  countries. 

In  view  of  its  special  relevance  to  the  work  of  the  meeting,  the  Chairman  asked  Mr.  Foumier 
d'Albe  (UNESCO)  to  describe  the  UNESCO  programme  on  earthquakes  which  had  been  in 
operation  for  some  18  years.  Mr.  Foumier  d'Albe  said  that  the  programme  had  evolved  from  a 
purely  scientific  programme  in  seismology  to  a  widely  multi-disciplinary  attack  on  the  problem 
of  earthquake  risk  management.  He  outlined  the  steps  by  which  it  had  been  possible  to  arrive 
firstly,  at  an  assessment  of  earthquake  hazard  in  terms  of  describing  ground  motion  which  could 
be  used  directly  by  engineers  in  the  design  of  earthquake  resistant  structures;  secondly,  at  an 
assessment  of  the  vulnerability  of  human  lives,  property,  productive  capacity,  etc.,  to  seismic 
ground  movements;  and,  finally,  at  an  assessment  of  risks,  defined  as  a  probability  of  loss,  as  well 
as  the  use  of  this  risk  assessment  in  pre-disaster  planning,  notably  in  the  elaboration  of  long- 
term  preventive  measures.  UNESCO's  programme  on  natural  hazards  also  included  work  on 
volcanic  eruptions  and  landslides,  in  which  a  similar  approach  had  been  adopted.  Mr.  Foumier 
d'Albe  felt  that,  despite  differences  in  vocabulary,  UNESCO  and  UNDRO  had  in  fact  evolved 
similar  methodologies  and  that  it  should  not  be  difficult  at  this  meeting  to  reach  agreement  on 
common  concepts  and  terminology  for  work  on  natural  hazards. 

The  representatives  of  the  World  Meteorological  Organization  (WMO)  explained  that  three 
of  WMO's  programmes,  the  World  Weather  Watch  Programme,  the  Tropical  Cyclone  Programme 
and  the  Operational  Hydrology  Programme,  would  contribute  directly  to  the  scientific  data  and 


techniques  required  for  vulnerability  analysis.  Within  these  programmes,  WMO  carried  out  a 
project  financed  by  the  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP)  in  1974/1975  on  the 
quantitative  evaluation  of  disaster  risks  from  tropical  cyclones.  The  report  on  this  project  had 
been  published  as  WMO  Special  Environmental  Report  No.  8.  A  sequel  to  this  report  was  a 
WMO/UNEP  project,  begun  in  1976,  to  test  techniques  of  flood  risk  evaluation  in  6  countries  in 
Central  America,  and  to  plan  and  implement  measures  to  minimize  loss  of  life  and  material 
damage  caused  by  hurricanes.  This  project  was  completed  in  1978  and  had  yielded  valuable 
results.  In  1979  WMO  launched  a  Hydrological  Operational  Multipurpose  Sub-progranmie 
(HOMS)  which  included  a  component  in  flood-risk  mapping. 

'  The  representative  of  the  United  Nations  Development  Programme  (UNDP)  described  the 
role  of  UNDP  in  the  field  of  technical  co-operation  and  the  work  of  the  UNDP  Offices  in  de- 
veloping countries.  These  Offices  acted  on  behalf  of  UNDRO  in  the  event  of  a  natural  disaster. 
He  added  that  in  the  various  developing  countries,  the  Resident  Representative  of  UNDP  was 
responsible  for  5-year  country  programmes  and  was  therefore  closely  concerned  with  considera- 
tions of  disaster  prevention  and  prepjiredness.  It  should  be  noted  that  by  virtue  of  a  formal 
agreement  between  the  Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator  and  the  Administrator  of  UNDP,  the  UNDP 
Resident  Representative  was  also  the  UNDRO  representative  in  the  field. 

The  representative  of  the  United  Nations  Centre  for  Human  Settlements  (HABITAT)  said 
that  the  activities  of  his  organization  had  mainly  consisted  of  technical  co-operation  with  govern- 
ments to  prepare  plans  for  medium  range  and  long  range  post-disaster  reconstruction,  particularly 
housing  construction.  Projects  had  included: 

—  physical  planning  for  reconstruction  and  development  after  earthquakes; 

—  housing  and  building  reconstruction  after  earthquakes; 

—  housing  reconstruction  after  hurricanes  and  floods. 

A  small  number  of  publications*  had  also  been  produced  in  the  area  of  earthquake-resistant 
housing  design  and  construction  techniques.  Currently  under  consideration  was  the  creation  in 
HABITAT  of  a  Task  Force  on  Disasters  to  provide  timely  advice  on  planning  and  building  in  the 
immediate  aftermath  of  disaster,  and  also  on  the  formulation  of  project  proposals  for  longer 
term  planning  and  reconstruction. 

In  the  general  discussion  it  was  explained  that  a  common  methodology  in  vulnerability  and 
risk  assessment  was  required  for  scientists,  planners,  engineers  and  developers  aUke.  It  was  agreed 
that  existing  UNDRO  publications  (see  Annex  V)  should  serve  as  a  background  to  the  work  of 
the  meeting  and  should  also,  as  necessary,  be  critically  reviewed.  One  recommendation  of  the 
meeting  might  be  that  UNDRO  should  consider  whether  any  of  these  pubUcations  should  be 
revised  and  updated. 


* 
See  Annex  V. 


A  discussion  followed  on  composite  vulnerability  analysis*,  questioning  its  relevance  and 
applicability.  There  was  a  general  feeling  that  information  should  be  provided  separately  on  the 
nature  and  degree  of  the  risks  from  each  phenomenon  even  if  a  composite  map  were  constructed 
in  addition. 

The  meeting,  before  proceeding  to  separate  discussions  in  working  groups  and  taking  into 
account  the  points  highlighted  in  the  opening  statements  of  the  Co-ordinator  and  of  the  Director 
of  the  Relief  Co-ordination,  Preparedness  and  Prevention  Division,  agreed  that  the  main  questions 
for  detailed  consideration  were  as  follows: 

1.  Clarification  of  concepts  concerning  risk  and  vulnerability, 

2.  Advice  on  what  types  of  information  were  required  to  assess  nsk  and  vulnerability, 

3.  Advice  on  methods  and  techniques  to  use  such  information  for  pre-disaster  physical  plan- 
ning and  building, 

4.  Advice  on  (inter  alia): 

a)  composite  risk  analysis,  and  scales  of  analysis  (for  example  seismic  microzonation) ; 

b)  risk  mapping,  extrapolating  risk  information  into  planning  and  building  recommenda- 
tions and/or  constraints; 

5.  Advice  on: 

a)  UNDRO's  role  in  the  promotion  and  development  of  vulnerability  analysis  techniques, 
particularly  among  the  U.N.  Agencies; 

b)  the  training  of  teams  in  damage  assessment,  risk  evaluation  and  mitigation  in  disaster- 
prone  developing  countries. 

The  meeting  accepted  that  an  important  issue  was  the  interface  between  science  and  plan- 
ning. A  major  objective  would  therefore  be  the  provision  of  straightforward,  practicable  tech- 
niques for  evaluating  risk  and  vulnerability  for  planning  purposes. 


*  Composite  vulnerability  analysis:  simultaneous  assessment  of  different  natural  hazards  in  a  given  location 
expressed  as  one  total  (or  composite)  risk. 


III.    CLASSIFICATION   OF   CONCEPTS   AND   TERMS 


The  series  of  UNDRO  studies  of  current  knowledge  on  Disaster  Prevention  and  Mitigation 
use  the  terms  natural  hazard  risk  and  damage  probability,  and  define  vulnerability  (or  disaster 
risk),  the  product  of  the  values  of  these  two  terms.  (See  for  example  page  4  of  Volume  5  on 
"Land-Use  Aspects  of  Disaster  Prevention  and  Mitigation").  Similar  terms  are  used  in  a  different 
sense  in  seismic  studies.  Thus  Mr.  Foumier  d'Albe  of  UNESCO  in  his  paper  on  "Earthquake 
Prediction  and  Risk  Management*"  uses  the  term  risk  to  denote  the  possibility  or  probability 
of  loss,  and  defines  this  as  the  product  of  seismic  hazard,  vulnerability  and  value,  vulnerability 
in  this  case  being  a  measure  of  the  proportion  of  the  value  which  may  be  expected  to  be  lost  as 
the  result  of  a  given  earthquake.  It  is  clearly  desirable  to  avoid,  if  possible,  such  conflicts  of 
nomenclature  and  to  establish  a  set  of  terms  for  use  in  disaster  studies  which  wiU  be  widely 
understood  and  accepted. 

The  meeting  proposed  therefore  that  the  following  terms  and  definitions  be  used: 

•  NATURAL  HAZARD  meaning  the  probability  of  occurrence,  within  a  specific  period 
of  time  in  a  given  Eirea,  of  a  potentially  damaging  natural  phenomenon. 

•  VULNERABILITY  meaning  the  degree  of  loss  to  a  given  element  at  risk  or  set  of  such 
elements  resulting  from  the  occurrence  of  a  natural  phenomenon  of  a  given  magnitude 
and  expressed  on  a  scale  from  0  (no  damage)  to  1  (total  loss). 

•  ELEMENTS  AT  RISK  meaning  the  population,  buildings  and  civil  engineering  works, 
economic  activities,  public  services,  utilities  and  infrastructure,  etc...  at  risk  in  a  given  area. 

•  SPECIFIC  RISK  meaning  the  expected  degree  of  loss  due  to  a  particular  natural  phenom- 
enon and  as  a  function  of  both  natural  hazard  and  vulnerability. 

•  RISK  meaning  the  expected  number  of  lives  lost,  persons  injured,  damage  to  property  and 
disruption  of  economic  activity  due  to  a  particular  natural  phenomenon,  and  consequently 
the  product  of  specific  risk  and  elements  at  risk. 

The  above  definitions  include  all  the  terms  used  in  the  UNDRO  studies  and  in  UNESCO 


* 
Background   paper   presented  to  European  Space  Agency/Council  of  Europe  Seminar  on  earthquake 

prediction,  Strasbourg,  France,  5  to  7  March  1979.  Available  from  UNESCO's  Earth  Sciences  Division  on  request. 


publications  but  in  several  cases  the  terms  used  do  not  correspond.  The  relationship  between 
the  three  sets  of  terms  is  shown  in  Table  I: 


Table  I 


UNDRO 

UNESCO 

PROPOSED 

risk 

hazard 

natural  hazard 

damage 

vulnerability 

vulnerability 

vulnerability 

— 

specific  risk 

— 

value 

elements  at  risk 

— 

risk 

risk 

The  proposed  definitions  appear  to  be  close  enough  to  general  usage  to  have  a  good  chance 
of  wide  acceptance.  Annex  III  provides  supplementary  theoretical  discussion  of  the  concept  of 
vulnerability  and  proposals  for  the  practical  evaluation  of  the  risk  attached  to  natural  hazards. 

An  additional  concept  which  may  prove  of  value  in  practical  applications  is  that  of  RESIST- 
ANCE which  controls  the  level  of  vulnerability.  Resistance  depends  on  numerous  factors  such 
as  land-use  patterns,  population  and  development  densities,  the  quality  and  implementation  of 
design  and  the  ability  to  arrest  the  action  of  destructive  forces  in  their  initial  stages  thereby 
avoiding  the  development  of  chains  of  destructive  events. 

The  ESTIMATED  LEVEL  OF  RISK  should  be  calculated  as  a  fundamental  element  of  any 
physical  development  planning  exercise  in  the  following  categories: 


—  post-disaster  settlements  reconstruction, 

—  settlement  renewal  and  modernization, 

—  expansion  of  existing  settlements, 

—  building  of  new  settlements, 

—  development   and/or   restructuring  of  the  nationEil/regional  settlements  networks 
and  systems. 

The  definition  of  an  estimated  RISK  for  alternative  site  selections  and  alternative  develop- 
ment programmes,  should  be  seen  as  a  major  tool  in  planning  and  decision- making  procedures  for 
preventing  or  mitigating  the  consequences  of  the  natural  phenomena  on  the  one  hand,  and  to 
limit  development  and  operational  costs  on  the  other. 

Policy  formulation  should  encompass  the  concept  of  LOCALLY  ACCEPTABLE  RISK. 


In  order  to  define  LOCALLY  ACCEPTABLE  RISK,  alternative  policy  and  planning  options 
should  be  formulated  and  examined.  Predictably,  each  alternative  solution  will  present  some 
internal  conflicts  between  locally  acceptable  levels  of  risk  and  socio-economic  goals.  Nevertheless, 
the  general  notion  and  philosophy  of  RISK  and  of  ACCEPTABLE  RISK  should  be  applied  to  all 
physical  planning  activities  in  order  to  ensure  a  safer  and  more  appropriate  process  of  urban  and 
regional  development.  To  that  end,  at  the  very  least  a  simplified  methodology  and  concept  of 
RISK  should  be  elaborated  taking  into  account  availability  of  local  data,  plaiming  technology 
and  trends  in  these  fields.  It  is  also  imperative  to  define  the  reasonable  minimum  requirements 
for  a  meaningfull  RISK  definition  exercise.  This  challenge  could  be  seen  as  an  important  element 
of  UNDRO's  work  programme. 


IV.   TYPES  OF  INFORMATION  REQUIRED 


In  order  to  assess  the  disaster  risk  of  an  area,  data  on  the  following  categories  are  required: 

♦  Natural  hazard 

♦  Vulnerability 

♦  Elements  at  risk 

4.1  Natural  hazard 

Techniques  for  the  assessment  of  natural  hazards  are  reasonably  adequate,  but  in  some 
areas  and  in  some  scientific  disciplines  there  may  be  deficiencies  of  basic  data  both  in  quantity 
and  quality.  For  the  natural  phenomena  of  main  interest  —  meteorological  and  hydrological 
phenomena,  earthquakes  and  volccinoes  —  it  is  essential  that  data  requirements  for  the  assessment 
of  natural  hazard  should  be  formulated  and,  where  gaps  are  identified,  urgent  steps  should  be 
taken  to  close  them.  These  steps  are  important  since  natural  phenomena  are  complex,  and  for 
their  complete  description  and  future  development  a  number  of  different  parameters  are  required 
(thus  a  tropical  cyclone  is  described  in  terms  of  its  direction,  speed  of  movement,  maximum  wind 
strength,  the  value  of  the  surface  pressure  at  its  centre,  etc.). 

The  preparation  of  hazard  maps  presents  no  particular  problems,  given  adequate  data  of 
reasonable  quality.  In  order  to  establish  risk,  a  planner  would  expect  to  be  provided  with  hazard 
maps  for  each  phenomenon  which  is  known  to  occur  in  the  area  under  consideration.  For 
example,  hazard  maps  might  be  prepared  for  the  extent  of  flooding  for  one  or  more  average 
return  periods,  for  flooding  due  to  river  flows  exceeding  the  bankfull  discharge,  and  for  flooding 
due  to  storm  surges  in  coastal  and  estuarine  areas.  There  might,  in  addition,  be  other  hazards  of 
a  geological  nature  which  would  have  to  be  mapped  (for  example  fault  lines,  loose  unconsoli- 
dated soils,  etc)  and  overlaid. 

4.2  Vulnerability 

Information  on  vulnerability  is  less  plentiful,  less  reliable  and  less  clearly  defined  than  the 
information  usually  available  on  natural  hazards  themselves.  Various  categories  of  data  are 
required,  relating  not  only  to  the  details  of  possible  material  damage,  but  also  to  the  degree  of 
social  and  economic  disorganization  that  may  take  place. 

There  is  a  pressing  need  to  assemble  and  publish  as  much  information  as  possible  on  the 
damage  that  has  occurred  in  past  disasters.  It  might  be  met  by  the  co-ordination  and  extension 


of  damage  surveys  which  have  already  been  undertaken  in  a  number  of  developed  and  developing 
countries. 

Of  particular  interest  in  this  connexion  are  the  questionnaires  on  disaster  damage  forming 
part  of  the  Anti-disaster  Planning  Programme  of  the  State  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu,  India 
—  see  Annex  IV. 

Clearly,  UNDRO  could  play  a  key  role  in  the  stimulation  and  co-ordination  of  such  vsrork 
among  disaster-prone  developing  countries. 

4.3    Elements  at  risk 

Information  on  elements  at  risk,  such  as  population,  property,  public  utilities,  industry, 
infrastructure,  etc..,  is  normally  taken  into  account  as  standard  planning  and  engineering  practice, 
even  when  disaster  prevention  and  mitigation  are  not  specifically  taken  into  account.  The  inclu- 
sion of  a  disaster  prevention  and  mitigation  perspective  in  land-use  planning  and  in  other  areas 
of  physical  planning  requires  a  somewhat  different  classification  and  definition  of  the  elements 
at  risk.  The  work  involved  in  this  reclassification  would  be  fully  justified  by  the  resulting  im- 
provement in  the  efficiency  of  planning  procedures. 


V.   METEOROLOGICAL    AND    HYDROLOGICAL    PHENOMENA 


Natural  disasters  of  atmospheric  origin  are  closely  associated  with  hydrological  features. 
The  violent  winds  and  prolonged  and  heavy  rainfall  of  a  tropical  cyclone  may  cause  a  disaster 
on  their  own  account,  but  other  factors  also  come  into  existence:  excessive  rainfall  may  lead 
to  river  flooding  and  landslides,  whilst  strong  winds  may  be  the  primary  but  not  the  sole  cause 
of  storm  surge.  It  is  worth  noting  that  the  greatest  losses  in  human  lives  are  caused  by  river  floods 
and  storm  surges. 

5.1    Tropical  cyclones 

The  small,  intense  depressions  of  tropical  latitudes  are  called  tropical  cyclones  (or  typhoons 
or  hurricanes,  depending  on  the  region  in  which  they  occur).  A  tropical  cyclone  forms  over  the 
open  sea  and  usually  moves  towards  land  on  reaching  which  it  either  moves  into  the  interior  or 
travels  along  the  coastline.  A  large  area,  perhaps  several  countries,  may  be  affected  by  a  tropical 
cyclone  during  its  active  existence  of  several  weeks,  and  the  toll  in  terms  of  loss  of  life,  material 
damage  and  economic  losses  may  be  extremely  heavy,  even  to  the  extent  of  cancelling  economic 
growth  over  a  period  of  years*.  In  the  North  West  Pacific  more  than  30  tropical  cyclones  may  be 
expected  to  develop  each  year.  In  other  regions  the  frequency  is  usually  lower. 

The  fundamental  characteristics  of  tropical  cyclones  are: 

(i)      Frequency  of  occurrence,  intensity,  speed  and  direction  of  movement,  etc.; 
(ii)    Wind  and  rainfall  distribution; 

(Hi)  Storm  surges  —  frequency/height  distribution,  and  relationship  to  meteorological 
parameters. 

The  hydrological  component  of  tropical  cyclones  is  concerned  mainly  with  the  following 
subjects: 

(i)  Hydrometeorological  aspects  of  tropical  cyclone  rainfall  —  depth/duration/frequency 
relationships; 

(ii)  Use  of  hydrological  models  for  estimating  probabilities  of  flood  river  discharges  associ- 
ated with  rainfall  of  given  characteristics. 


*Techniques  for  the  assessment  of  natural  hazard  are  described  in  some  detail  in  Special  Environmental 
Report  No.  8:  The  Quantitative  Evaluation  of  the  Risk  of  Disaster  from  Tropical  Cyclones,  1976.  Secretariat 
of  the  Worid  Meteorological  Organization,  Geneva.  Sales  No.  455,  Enghsh/French/Spanish,  143  pages.  Price  50 
SFr.  ISBN  92-63  -  10455  -7. 


10 


5.2  Tornadoes 

A  number  of  dangerous  meteorological  phenomena  —  tornadoes,  thunderstorms,  lightning 
and  hail  —  are  conveniently  classified  within  the  description  "severe  local  storms".  These  storms 
have  a  relatively  short  life  cycle  and  affect  small  areas  rather  than  large  regions.  Although  any 
of  these  phenomena  can  be  a  serious  threat  to  life  and  property,  the  tornado  is  the  most  danger- 
ous of  all,  and  is  capable  of  bringing  total  devastation  to  settlements  and  development  lying  in 
its  path.  Tornadoes  are  liable  to  form  when  the  wind,  temperature  and  humidity  conditions 
through  a  deep  layer  of  the  atmosphere  are  such  as  to  generate  strong  convection  of  air  near  the 
ground.  Although  such  conditions  are  favourable  for  tornado  genesis,  it  is  by  no  means  certain 
that  a  tornado  will  automatically  form.  The  mechanism  involved  is  not  yet  sufficiently  under- 
stood. Nevertheless  an  analysis  of  the  meteorological  elements  which  determine  the  vertical 
structure  of  the  atmosphere  will  give  frequencies  of  occurrence  of  conditions  which  might 
result  in  the  formation  of  a  tornado  in  a  given  area.  For  the  purposes  of  a  realistic  assessment  of 
tornado  hazard,  these  statistics  should  be  used  in  conjunction  with  records  of  actual  occasions 
when  tornadoes  were  experienced  in  the  cirea. 

5.3  River  Floods 

Excessive  rainfall  is  the  basic  cause  of  a  river  flood  but  there  are  simultaneously  other  con- 
tributory factors.  These  may  include  structural  failures  such  as  the  collapse  of  the  walls  of  a 
reservoir  or  the  embankment  of  a  river  proving  insufficiently  robust  to  contain  the  strong  flow 
of  water.  When  rainfall  is  of  very  high  intensity,  the  resulting  flood  may  be  of  sudden  onset, 
usually  described  as  a  flash-flood.  This  phenomenon  is  particularly  dangerous  because  it  leaves 
very  little  time  for  any  adequate  warning  or  evacuation.  If  a  river  flood  takes  place  near  the 
coast,  the  hazard  may  be  enhanced  if,  at  the  same  time,  strong  onshore  winds  cause  a  storm  surge 
(see  5.4  below). 

In  order  to  describe  river  flood  hazards,  hydrologists  undertake  the  preparation  of  two 
basic  maps.  One  map  delineates  areas  liable  to  flooding  on  average  once  every  10  years;  the 
other  map  shows  corresponding  areas  for  100  year  flood  cycles.  A  flood  event  which  may  be 
equalled  or  exceeded  only  in  100  years  (i.e.  a  flood  with  a  probability  of  occurrence  of  1  per 
cent),  would  inundate  large  areas  of  the  flood  plains,  whereas  a  10  year  flood  (i.e.  a  flood  with  a 
probability  of  occurrence  of  10  per  cent)  would  cover  a  much  smaller  area,  mainly  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  river  banks.  The  methods  employed  by  hydrologists  can  readily  be  applied  for 
the  preparation  of  maps  for  return  periods  other  than  those  mentioned.  Such  a  requirement 
should  be  decided  in  accordance  with  local  data  and  experience. 

In  hydrology,  the  usual  practice  is  to  characterize  a  flood  by  its  peak  discharge,  or  peak 
stage.  In  principle,  it  is  necessary  to  estimate  the  peak  stage  at  every  point  along  the  river  chan- 
nel. The  raw  material  for  such  an  investigation  consists  mainly  of  the  available  rainfall  and 
streamflow  data.  These  data  are  analysed  and  used  with  catchment,  and  other  hydrological 
models,  to  estimate  flood  frequencies  and  extent  of  inundation. 


11 


5.4  Storm  surges 

Storm  surge  is  caused  by  strong  winds  aind  low  barometric  pressures  (usually  generated  by 
a  cyclone)  blowing  over  a  large  sea  surface.  Water  is  thereby  lifted  and  driven  towards  the  coast. 
Where  the  depth  is  shallow,  the  return  flow  is  retarded  by  friction  at  the  sea  bed,  and  the  excess 
water  piles  up  on  the  shore  line  until  it  eventually  invades  the  hinterland.  The  originating  phenom- 
enon will  probably  be  accompanied  by  heavy  rains.  Thus,  the  sum  total  of  destruction  may  prove 
to  be  exceptionally  high  because  of  the  contribution  of  three  major  factors  —  storm  surge,  heavy 
rainfall  and  increased  discharge,  if  not  actual  flooding,  from  rivers.  Although  the  worst  storm 
surges  occur  in  association  with  tropical  cyclones,  the  phenomenon  is  not  confined  to  the  tropics 
alone.  Any  low-lying  coastal  region  may  experience  storm  surge  when  a  deep  depression  over  the 
sea  accompanied  by  strong  winds,  approaches  the  shore. 

The  most  vulnerable  parts  of  a  coastline  lying  in  the  path  of  tropical  cyclones  are  bays  and 
shallow  estuaries.  To  assess  the  hazard  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  frequency  analysis  of  storm 
surge  heights  along  different  sections  of  vulnerable  coastlines,  and  to  consider,  in  addition,  the 
possible  combined  effects  of  the  meteorological  surge  and  the  astronomical  tide.  Confidence  in 
the  assessment  of  the  hazard  will  depend  greatly  on  the  quality  of  the  data  received.* 

5.5  Avalanches 

The  estimation  of  avalanche  hazards  is  based  on  studies  of  past  records  of  avalanche  events 
and  also,  on  climatological  data  and  terrain  conditions.  However,  it  should  be  stated  that  ava- 
lanche hazard  assessment  is  extremely  difficult  because  there  is  no  accepted  theory  of  avalanches, 
and  little  is  known  about  the  mechanism  that  triggers  them.  A  great  deal  remains  to  be  learned 
about  the  interaction  of  weather,  terrain  and  snow  conditions. 

5.6  Landslides 

The  subject  of  landslides  is  discussed  in  greater  detail  in  Section  VI,  in  conjunction  with 
earthquakes.  However,  consideration  should  also  be  given  to  the  possibility  of  landslides  where 
heavy  rains  and  floods  may  occur. 

Landslides  hazard  is  difficult  to  estimate  as  an  independent  phenomenon.  It  seems  appro- 
priate, therefore,  to  associate  landslides  with  other  hazards  such  as  tropical  cyclones,  severe  local 
storms  and  river  floods.  This  consideration  is  clearly  observed  in  countries  which,  for  the  purpose 
of  preventing  or  mitigating  flood  damage,  also  adopt  measures  to  prevent  hillside  erosion  and 
landslides. 


*For  more  detailed  discussion  of  data  requirements,  reference  should  be  made  to  Publication  No.  500; 
Present  Techniques  of  Tropical  Storm  Surge  Prediction.  Report  on  Marine  Science  Affairs,  No.  13,  1978.  Sec- 
retariat of  the  World  Meteorological  Organization.  English,  87  pages,  Price  20  SFr. 


12 


VI.    EARTHQUAKES 


6.1    Seismic  aspects 

Seismic  hazard  is  defined  as  the  probability  F(r)  that  a  certain  ground  motion  parameter 
will  be  exceeded  in  a  period  of  (T)years.  It  is  essential  that  the  users  of  primary  seismological 
data,  or  of  hazard  figures,  should  be  aware  of  the  inaccuracies  inherent  in  the  data  and  of  possible 
errors  in  the  determination  of  individual  parameters.  Users  should  always  ask  seismologists  and 
geologists  for  an  assessment  of  the  accuracy  and  confidence  in  the  information  and  advice  which 
they  provide. 

The  procedures  which  provide  probabilistic  values  of  seismic  hazard  cannot  always  be 
followed  in  practice.  Simple  approaches  may  be  used  if  the  data  required  are  not  available,  or  if 
a  rough  estimate  of  hazard  would  be  acceptable.  In  many  countries,  the  largest  macroseismic 
intensities  that  have  been  observed  so  far  are  regarded  as  defining  the  level  of  the  hazard  and, 
using  this  technique,  maps  can  be  constructed.  However,  such  an  approach  may  result  in  danger- 
ous gaps  since  earthquakes  may  occur  in  places  where  no  activity  had  previously  been  reported. 
Efforts  are  therefore  being  made,  using  geotectonic  evidence,  to  improve  the  maps  by  extending 
the  zones  of  largest  macroseismic  intensity,  (/  max.). 

6.1.1     Calculation  of  seismic  hazard 

Figure  I  shows  in  the  form  of  diagrams  the  sequence  of  actions  to  be  taken  by  government 
authorities  on  the  one  hand,  and  by  earth  scientists  and  earthquake  engineers  on  the  other  hand, 
in  order  to  draw  up  and  implement  plans  for  the  mitigation  of  earthquake  disasters.  In  this  way, 
facilities,  data  and  techniques  may  be  made  available  for  the  calculation  of  seismic  hazard.  At  all 
stages  in  the  implementation  of  the  plan  there  would,  of  course,  be  full  decision  between  the 
government  authorities  and  the  scientists  and  engineers  concerned. 

The  flow  diagram  on  the  right  of  Figure  I  "Planning  for  the  Mitigation  of  Earthquake 
Disasters"  shows  the  steps  involved  in  meeting  the  practical  objective  of  calculating  seismic 
hazard.  The  steps  are  in  boxes  numbered  1  to  12  and  comments  on  some  of  them  are  set  out 
below: 


Step  1 :  The  basic  data  required  for  this  step  are  of  two  types.  The  first  consists  of  historical 
reports  on  earthquake  damage  (non  instrumental,  macro-seismic)  from  which  the  epi- 
centre location  and  the  size  of  the  earthquake  in  terms  of  macroseismic  intensity,  /,  are 
estimated.  (Evidently,  earthquakes  off  the  coast  or  in  unpopulated  areas  may  escape  the 
record  partly  or  totally).  The  second  type  consists  of  data  on  earthquake  parameters 


13 


based  on  the  analysis  of  seismograms.  However,  reliable  locations  on  a  world  wide  scale 
are  not  available  before  1964,  and  earlier  determinations  of  epicentre  co-ordinates  may 
be  in  error  by  50-150  km,  depending  on  the  number  and  position  of  seismic  stations. 
Historical  records  are  urgently  needed  but  they,  as  well  as  instrumental  determinations 
prior  to  1964,  must  be  carefully  checked  before  being  processed.  For  the  sake  of  re- 
liability and  consistency  of  statistical  treatment,  the  principle  of  homogeneity  in  space, 
time  and  magnitude  should  be  adhered  to. 


Step  2:    In  catalogues  and  in  seismic  maps  the  differential  accuracy  of  earthquake  parameters 
must  be  indicated. 


Step  3:  Active  tectonics  are  indicative  of  increased  seismic  risk.  The  activity  of  a  region  may  be 
denoted  by  recent  and  continuing  vertical  and  horizontal  movements,  uplifting  of  coast 
lines  and  by  large  strains. 

Step  4:  Potential  source  areas  are  identified  by  means  of  the  clustering  of  known  epicentres 
and/or  the  location  of  faults  active  during  the  neotectonic  era.  The  most  difficult  prob- 
lem is  the  classification  and  period  of  movement  along  the  faults. 

Step  5:  Suitable  empirical  curves  are  selected  in  order  to  represent  the  alternation  of  ground 
motion  in  relation  to  the  variables  —  distance  (D),  magnitude  (M),  and  focal  depth  (h). 
The  main  parameters  may  be  the  macroseismic  intensity  (I),  or  acceleration  (a),  or 
particle  velocity  (v),  or  displacement  (d).  A  major  problem  is  the  lack  of  reliable  attenua- 
tion curves  for  the  most  active  regions.  If  curves  from  other  regions  are  used,  the  resulting 
hazard  figures  should  be  used  with  caution.  The  attenuation  curves  usually  refer  to  bed- 
rock or  to  average  ground  conditions. 

Step  6:  The  relationship  between  the  average  annual  number  (N)  of  earthquakes  and  their 
magnitude  (M)  defines  the  level  of  earthquake  activity  within  the  source  area.  The  upper 
threshold  magnitude  Umit  (M^^^)  is  estimated  with  the  aid  of  several  techniques  of 
varying  reliabUity,  e.g.  Gumbel's  theory  of  extreme  values,  correlation  of  the  lengths  of 
active  faults  with  (M^^,  curvature  of  the  recurrence  plots,  etc. 


Step  7:  Statistical  models  usually,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Poisson  model,  assume  independent 
events  and  a  constant  trend  of  earthquake  activity,  i.e.  that  the  pattern  of  earthquake 
occurrence  in  the  past  will  be  repeated  in  the  future.  These  assumptions  are  not  strictly 
true  and  merely  provide  a  first  approximation,  the  reliability  of  which  depends  on  the 
length  of  the  sample.  For  mapping  purposes  the  calculations  are  made  for  points  of  a 
grid  and  contours  are  then  drawn. 


14 


FIGURE  I:  PLANNING  FOR  THE  MITIGATION  OF  EARTHQUAKE  DISASTERS 


NO 


OK 


GOVERNMENT  AUTHORITIES 


Is  the  country  or  part  of  it  exposea 
to  significant  earthquakesj^ 


YES 


YES  OR  NOT  SURE 


Do  seismic  monitoring  services 

exist  which  are  commensurate 

with  the  suspected  level  of  risk  ? 


I 


NO  OR  NOT  SURE 


Establish  a  suitable  monitoring 

institution,  with  advice  from 

regional  or  international 

scientific  organization. 


I 


Verify  the  competence 

of  the  seismic  monitoring 

institution. 


Do  adequate 

earthquake-resistant 

regulations  exist  ? 


NO  OR  NOT  SURE 


Establish  damage  exposure 
level  from  seismologists 
and  structural  engineers. 


Establish  and  enforce  minimum 
requirements  for  earthquake- 
resistant  design  of  future 
buildings. 


Examine  existing  high-importance 

buildings  and  utilities  for  safety  against 

strong  earthquake:  e.g.,  automatic 

trip-outs  of  central  electricity 

supply  in  response  to  strong  ground 

shaking. 


I 


EARTH  SCIENTISTS  AND 
EARTHQUAKE  ENGINEERS 


1.  Catalogue  and  analyse  existing 
regional  earthquake  data  (macro- 
seismic  and  instrumental). 


T 


2.  Establish  regional  systems  for 
monitoring  seismicity,  strong 
ground  motion,  etc. 


T 


3.  Produce  epicentral  and  isoseis- 
mal  maps  showing  geographic 
distribution  of  earthquakes  and 
their  effects. 


T 


4.  Review  regional  tectonic  activity. 


T 


5.   Establish       earthquake      source 
zones. 


T 


6.  Establish  regional  attenuation 
laws  for  intensity,  acceleration, 
velocity,  etc. 


T 


7.  Determine  magnitude-recurrence 
relationships. 


T 


8.  Apply      appropriate     statistical 
model. 


T 


9.  Draw  seismic  hazard  maps  in 
terms  of  intensity,  acceleration, 
velocity,  etc. 


T 


10.  Measure  soils  effects  and  pro- 
duce seismic  microzonation 
maps. 


1 


11.  Measure    building    accelerations 
in  earthquake. 


T 


12.  Draft  seismic  parameters  for 
earthquake-resistant  building 
code. 


Establish  the  criteria  for  acceptable 
risk,  and  responsibilities  for  imple- 
mentation of  emergency  plans. 


I 


Is  there  adequate  interdisciplinary  under- 
standing of  earthquake  occurrence 
and  effects? 


Formulate  plans  for  post- 
earthquake  disaster  relief. 


NO 


Promote  seminars  for  engineers, 

architects,  planners,  insurers 

regulatory  authorities,  etc. 


T 


Review  and  update  earthquake- 
resistant  code  and  disaster  relief 
plans  at  regular  intervals. 


3: 


Review  and  optimize  code  para- 
meters in  the  light  of  new 
earthquake  and  damage 
observations. 


15 


6.1.2  Example  of  an  empirical  formula 

Many  major  earthquakes  occur  in  close  association  with  faults  that  have  been  recognized, 
or  could  have  been  recognized,  in  advance  of  the  earthquake. 

From  studies  of  a  number  of  cases  of  faulting,  relationships  may  be  established  between 
the  magnitude  of  the  event  (M),  the  associated  length  of  rupture  (L)  and  maximum  displacement 
(R)  in  centimetres.  The  following  empirical  formula,  for  example,  is  applicable  in  the  Middle 
East: 

Ms  =  1.1   +  0.4log(Ll-58     r2)  f^j.  8>M>  5 

This  equation  or  similar  expressions  for  other  areas  may  be  used  to  estimate  the  maximum 
expected  magnitude  which  might  result  from  faults  of  known  or  inferred  length  and  mobility 
in  the  area  of  interest. 

6.1.3  The  activity  of  faults 

Using  geological,  seismological  and  historical  data  it  is  often  possible  to  assess  the  relative 
activity  of  a  geological  fault  and  to  classify  it  into  one  of  the  following  categories: 

(i)  Active 

(ii)  Potentially  active 

(Hi)  Uncertain  activity 

(iv)  Inactive. 

These  categories  are  described  briefly  below: 

(i)  Active  faults  —  These  are  marked  by  historical  or  recent  surface  faulting  associated  with 
damaging  earthquakes;  by  tectonic  fault  creep  or  geodetic  indication  of  fault  movement; 
by  geologically  young  deposits  being  displaced  or  cut  by  faulting;  by  fresh  geomorphic 
features  characteristic  of  active  fault  zones  present  along  the  fault  trace;  by  physical  ground 
water  barriers  in  geologically  young  deposits;  by  stratigraphic  displacement  of  quaternary 
deposits  by  faulting;  by  offset  streams. 

Seismologically,  earthquake  epicentres  are  associated  with  individual  faults  with  a  high 
degree  of  confidence. 

(ii)  Potentially  active  faults  —  There  is  no  reliable  report  of  historic  surface  faulting;  faults 
which  may  be  found  in  older  alluvial  deposits  but  Eire  not  known  to  cut  or  displace  the 
most  recent  alluvial  deposits;  geomorphic  features  characteristic  of  active  fault  zones  are 
subdued,  eroded  and  discontinuous;  water  barriers  may  be  present  in  older  materials. 
Seismologically,  there  is  alignment  of  some  earthquake  foci  along  the  fault  trace  but  loca- 
tions are  assigned  with  a  low  degree  of  confidence. 

(Hi)  Faults  of  uncertain  activity  —  This  category  is  used  if  the  available  information  is  insuf- 
ficient to  comply  with  criteria  which  would  establish  fault  activity.  If  the  fault  is  considered 
critical  to  the  sites,  additional  studies  are  necessary  to  establish  its  category. 


16 


(iv)  Inactive  faults  —  A  thorough  study  of  local  sources  of  historical  information  has  not  given 
evidence  of  any  activity.  Geologically,  features  characteristic  of  active  fault  zones  are  not 
present  and  no  geological  evidence  has  been  found  to  indicate  that  the  fault  has  moved  in 
the  recent  past  and  has  been  recognized  as  a  source  of  earthquakes. 

6.1.4     Fault  recognition 

Criteria  for  recognizing  an  active  fault  may  be  summarized  under  geological,  seismological 
and  historical  headings  as  follows: 

(i)     Geological  criteria  —  An  active  fault  is  indicated  by  young  geomorphic  features  such  as: 

—  fault  scarps 

—  triangular  facets 

—  fault  rift 

—  pressure  ridges 

—  offset  streams 

—  enclosed  depressions 

—  fault  valleys 

—  rejuvenated  streams 

—  folding  or  warping  of  young  deposits 

—  ground  water  barriers  in  recent  alluvium 

—  echelon  faults  on  recent  surfaces. 

Erosional  features  are  sometimes  associated  with  active  faults  but  are  not  necessarily  indi- 
cators of  active  faults. 

(ii)  Seismological  criteria  —  Earthquakes  and  micro-earthquakes  when  fairly  precisely  located 
with  the  aid  of  instruments  may  indicate  an  active  fault.  However,  a  lack  of  known  earth- 
quakes should  not  be  regarded  as  an  indication  that  a  fault  is  inactive. 

(Hi)  Historical  criteria  —  Historical  sources  such  as  manuscripts,  personal  information  and  local 
traditions  may  contain  valuable  data  on  past  earthquakes.  Fault  movements  or  creep  may 
be  detected  from  displaced  man-made  lineaments. 

6.2    Hazards  during  earthquakes 

While  an  earthquake  is  in  progress,  major  hazards  may  arise  as  a  result  of  the  particular 
geological  materials  present  in  the  localities  where  seismic  shocks  are  taking  place.  Some  notes  on 
this  important  aspect  are  given  in  the  following  sub-sections. 

6.2.1     Fractured  bedrock  on  steep  slopes 

Large  masses  of  fractured  rock  forming  the  walls  of  valleys  may  be  dislodged  by  a  strong 
seismic  shock.  If  the  difference  in  elevation  between  the  potentially  unstable  mass  and  the 
valley  floor  is  sufficient  for  the  mass  to  gain  high  momentum,  the  mode  of  movement  will  change 
from  sliding  and  tumbling  to  an  extremely  rapid  and  destructive  flow  of  rock  fragments. 


17 


Once  mobilized,  such  a  flow  has  high  kinetic  energy  and  may  travel  a  considerable  distance 
up  the  opposite  valley  side  or  turn  down  the  valley  at  speeds  up  to  200  km/h  for  a  long  distance, 
destroying  everything  in  its  path. 

An  example  of  a  very  destructive  rock  faU  -  debris  avalanche  -  is  that  caused  by  the  31  May 
1970  earthquake  in  Peru  which  caused  a  portion  of  the  north-west  face  of  Huascaran  Peak  to 
fail.  The  mass  crashed  down  on  the  lower  slopes,  picked  up  water  and  flowed  with  high  velocity 
down  the  valley.  It  surmounted  a  ridge  and  overwhelmed  the  city  of  Yungay,  killing  about 
19,000  inhabitants.  The  effects  of  the  subsequent  flow  of  debris  down  the  Rio  Santa  were  felt  far 
downstream  and  included  damage  to  a  major  hydroelectric  power  plant  which  was  put  out  of 
operation  for  many  months. 

The  Yungay  disaster  was  not  an  unprecedented  occurrence.  A  similar,  smaller  failure  killed 
several  thousand  people  at  Ranrahirca,  an  adjoining  town,  in  the  1960's.  Moreover,  the  presence 
of  old  debris  avalanche  deposits  in  the  valley  indicates  that  there  have  been  several  similar  occur- 
rences in  the  past.  The  present  re-located  site  of  Yungay  is  on  such  an  old  deposit  and  for  this 
reason  the  hazard  to  present  inhabitants  still  remains. 

6.2.2  Loose  surface  materials  on  steep  slopes 

Steep  slopes  of  coherent  bedrock  often  have  a  surface  covering  of  weathered  material  or 
soil  a  few  metres  thick.  This  material  is  often  wet  or  saturated  by  rain  or  snow  melt  and  the 
contact  with  underlying  firm  material  forms  a  surface  of  low  shear  strength.  Earthquakes  can 
cause  this  layer  to  fail  and  descend  rapidly,  destroying  farms  on  the  slope  and  villages  in  the 
valley  below.  Such  failures  have  resulted  in  heavy  casualties  in  many  areas  of  the  world  particu- 
larly in  mountainous  regions  in  tropical  and  temperate  climates.  The  situation  is  aggravated 
where  slash  and  bum  j^ricultural  practice  has  destroyed  natural  vegetation  cover. 

There  may  also  be  loose  deposits  on  steep  slopes  not  derived  from  the  underljdng  rock 
but  by  deposition  from  the  air,  such  as  volcanic  pimiice  or  loose  wind-blown  silt.  If  such  deposits 
are  deep,  a  particularly  dangerous  hazard  arises.  Slope  failures  during  the  1976  Guatemala  earth- 
quake were  practically  confined  to  areas  covered  by  dense  layers  of  pumice.  In  some  regions 
more  than  50  per  cent  of  the  slopes  failed,  sending  soil  and  trees  into  the  valleys  below.  Large 
and  catastrophic  failures  of  thick  deposits  of  wind-blown  silt  (loess)  have  occurred  repeatedly 
in  Central  Asia,  such  as  the  disaster  in  Kansu  province  China  in  a  1970  earthquake  where  some 
100,000  people  were  killed  by  loess  flows  that  came  off  the  slopes  and  filled  the  valleys.  Similar 
failures  of  loess  have  caused  heavy  damage  in  Tadzhikistan  in  the  USSR. 

6.2.3  Liquefaction  of  loose  flat-lying  sedimentary  deposits 

Some  deposits  in  flat  alluvial  valleys  have  a  very  loose  structure  that  is  disturbed  by  seismic 
vibration.  In  consequence  the  component  particles  of  a  "sensitive"  clay  or  fine  sand,  for  example, 
assume  a  closer  packing  cind  smaller  bulk  volume.  If  the  layer  is  initially  saturated,  the  load  from 
material  above  would  not  be  carried  by  solid-to-solid  grain  contact  but  by  the  interstitial  water. 
A  soil  in  such  a  condition  has  effectively  zero  shear  strength,  and  thus  the  sediments  above  are 
free  to  move  under  gravity  forces  towards  any  free  face.  The  whole  of  the  material  above  the 
liquefied  layer  may  then  spread  laterally  and  break  up  into  smaller  units.  Moreover,  if  buildings 


18 


are  founded  upon  a  layer  which  is  subject  to  liquefaction  they  may  subside,  break  up,  or  tip 
over.  Standard  penetration  tests  and  mechanical  analysis  of  soils  may  be  used  as  a  first  estimate 
for  determining  liquefaction  potential. 

6.2.4     Cohesive  natural  embankments,  levees  and  earth  dams 

More  or  less  homogeneous  cohesive  materials  may  fail  by  slumping  along  curved  shear 
surfaces  under  strong  seismic  shock,  particularly  if  the  material  is  saturated.  Failures  in  the  open 
air  are  generally  not  common  or  so  rapid  that  they  present  a  serious  hazard  to  Ufe  although 
property  may  be  destroyed. 

However,  if  the  material  forms  a  levee  or  dam  and  is  saturated,  at  least  in  part,  failure  may 
be  rapid  and  extensive  and  lead  to  release  of  impounded  water  with  consequent  hazard  to  life 
and  property.  An  example  is  the  failure  of  the  lower  San  Fernando  Dam  at  the  time  of  the  San 
Fernando  earthquake  (USA).  The  dam  was  not  completely  breached  but  only  3-4  feet  of  free- 
board remained.  The  lives  and  property  of  about  50,000  people  in  the  urban  area  below  the  dam 
were  imperilled  and  immediate  evacuation  was  necessary  until  the  water  behind  the  dam  was 
lowered  to  a  safe  level. 

6.3    Landslides 

6.3.1     Concepts  and  risk  management 

The  term  "landslide"  is  here  used  in  its  broad  sense  to  include  downward  and  outward 
movement  of  slope-forming  materials  -  either  natural  rock  and  soil  or  artificial  fill  -  by  falling, 
toppling,  true  sliding  along  a  surface  or  surfaces  of  shear  failure,  or  by  distributed  movements 
involving  lateral  spreading  or  flowing. 

Although  individual  slope  failures  generally  are  not  so  spectacular  or  so  costly  as  some 
other  natural  catastrophes,  they  are  more  widespread  and  the  total  financial  loss  due  to  slope 
failures  probably  is  greater  than  that  for  any  other  single  geologic  hazard  to  mankind.  More- 
over, much  of  the  loss  of  life  and  dam^e  occurring  in  conjunction  with  earthquakes  and  heavy 
rainfall  are  due  to  Icindslides  triggered  by  shaking  or  by  water. 

Risk  management  requires  knowledge  of  the  specific  areas  which  are  subject  to  the  hazard 
and,  if  possible,  the  ability  to  predict  the  time  of  occurrence.  In  this  context,  landslides  are  a 
type  of  hazard  that  is  susceptible  to  a  considerable  degree  of  rational  management.  The  kinds 
of  geological  and  topographic  environments  that  lead  to  high  incidence  of  slope  failures  and  the 
triggering  agents  that  precipitate  failure  are  relatively  well  known.  Mapping  of  areas  subject  to 
slope  movements  and  delineation  of  the  degree  of  hazard  are  now  being  successfully  pursued 
in  many  parts  of  the  world  and  the  techniques  used  can  be  widely  applied  at  various  levels  of 
detail  and  sophistication. 

Figure  2,  taken  from  a  paper  by  Oyagi  (1978),  gives  a  schematic  outline  of  the  policy- 
making and  investigational  procedures  which  should  be  undertaken  in  planning  to  prevent  or  to 
mitigate  landslide  disasters. 


19 


6.3.2  Information  required  to  assess  risk 

Devastating  landslides  rarely  occur  where  there  have  been  no  previous  failures  in  adjoining 
or  nearby  areas,  unless,  of  course,  the  activities  of  man  have  produced  a  new  and  dangerous 
setting.  Therefore,  the  requirements  in  delineating  the  hazard  are: 

(i)  Knowledge  of  where  past  failures  have  occurred.  Such  knowledge  is  generally  available  from 
local  records.  For  evaluation  of  the  hazard  in  broad  areas,  the  interpretation  of  aerial  photo- 
graphs by  an  expert  in  landslide  recognition  is  effective,  quick,  and  not  very  expensive.  This 
technique  should,  however,  be  validated  by  examination  on  the  ground. 

(ii)  In  order  to  make  an  adequate  assessment  of  the  stability  of  areas  that  have  not  yet  failed, 
it  is  necessary  to  determine  how  and  why  the  existing  failures  occurred.  A  geologist  trained 
in  photo-interpretation  can  often  make  reasonable  inferences  regarding  the  mechanism  of 
failure  and,  in  favorable  circumstances,  tell  something  about  the  geological  conditions  that 
contributed  to  instability.  However,  actual  ground  examination  is  generally  necessary  as 
well. 

(Hi)  For  many  purposes  it  is  necessary  also  to  determine,  if  possible,  when  failure  occurred. 
This  condition  requires,  for  historic  failure,  correlation  with  all  available  information 
concerning  possible  triggering  events,  such  as  earthquakes,  heavy  rains,  erosion,  or  man- 
made  excavations. 

The  kinds  of  information  required  wiU  range  in  detail  from  areal  surveys  to  physical  borings, 
sampling,  testing  of  materials,  and  stability  analyses,  depending  on  the  appropriate  scale  of  the 
investigation  and  on  the  investment  cost  of  the  proposed  development.  In  any  event,  experience 
has  shown  that  the  benefit/cost  ratio  of  adequate  information  on  engineering  geology  prior  to 
development  or  design  is  very  high,  of  the  order  of  at  least  10  to  1  and,  in  some  cases,  nearly 
1,000  to  1. 

6.3.3  Advice  on  using  information 

The  most  effective  application  of  information  concerning  slope  stability  is  clearly  to  be 
made  prior  to  development  or  construction.  This  precautionary  action  can  be  provided  for  by 
national,  state,  or  local  legislation,  statute,  ordinance,  or  building  codes.  Such  legal  instruments 
exist  in  many  areas  and  can  serve  as  models  for  appropriate  design  of  land-use  constraints  else- 
where. 

In  the  main,  it  is  a  matter  of  education  and  of  promotional  effort  by  engineering  geologists 
among  planners,  legislators,  and  the  public  to  show  what  can  be  done,  at  what  cost,  and  with 
what  benefits. 

As  in  most  hazards,  avoidance  or  prevention  is  much  more  effective  than  cure.  Once  a  land- 
slide has  started  at  a  critical  site,  re-establishing  stability  is  almost  always  a  difficult,  expensive 
and  time-consuming  task.  Avoidance  is  often  practicable  and  simple  given  adequate  pre- 
investigation.  Protection,  if  the  area  cannot  be  avoided,  is  often  possible  by  means  of  appropriate 
modification  of  design.  Cure  can  in  itself  be  extremely  expensive. 


20 


FIGURE  2:   GENERAL  SCHEME  FOR  PLANNING  AGAINST  LANDSLIDE  DISASTERS 

(Oyagi  1978) 


PLANNING  FOR  MITIGATION  AND  PREVENTION 
AGAINST  LANDSLIDE  DISASTER 


X 


For  existing 
habitants  and 
constructions 


3_ 


For  new  residential 

places  and 

construction 


I 


Finding  out  the  present  disastrous  and  problematic  landslides, 
and  potential  slopes  for  landshde 


Social 
problems 


K 


I 


~] 


Zoning  map 


H 


Natural 
problems 


H 


First  stage  engineering  assessment 
Determination  of  order  of  treatment 


Tentative 
profile 


'I    ^  r 


Identification 
of  types  of 
landsUdes 


Second  stage  engineering  assessment 

Determination  of  kinds  of  watching  system  and 
control  works 


Removal 


Abandonment 
of  plan 


°  -s 


Survey  of 
individual 
landslide 


Detailed 
profile 


Plan  view 
maps 


Survey  of 

movement  and 

dynamics 


X 


Third  stage  engineering  assessment 


Evaluation  and  rearrangement  of  control 
works  and  watching  system 


IX 


Watching 
system 


I 


I 


Corrective 
works 


I 


Preventive 
works 


Demanding  for 
evacuation 


21 


6.3.4     Composite  risk  analysis  and  mapping 

Landslide  incidence  and  susceptibility  have  been  mapped  at  scales  ranging  from  1  : 
7,500,000  (in  the  U.S.)  to  1:  1,000  -  2,000,  in  many  other  parts  of  the  world  in  all  kinds  of  en- 
vironments. 

6.4    Seismic  microzonation 

Seismic  hazard  analysis  provides  probabilities  of  occurrence  or  exceedance  of  a  certain 
ground  motion  parameter  related  to  a  reference  ground  for  which  the  attention  functions  are 
compiled.  However,  for  planning  or  construction  on  the  scale  of  a  town,  the  hazard  estimates 
should  be  modified  because  of  the  strong  influence  of  the  ground  on  the  frequency  and  ampli- 
tude of  ground  motion. 

The  procedure  of  determining  the  corrections  is  called  seismic  microzonation.  The  existing 
methods  use: 

(i)  recordings  of  weak  shocks  or  aftershocks  at  locations  with  different  ground  conditions 
and  the  process  of  extrapolation  of  the  data  to  records  of  large  shocks; 

(ii)  theoretical  calculation  of  ground  response  using  information  on  thickness  of  layers  and  on 
elastic  parameters  of  underlying  rocks,  and  assuming  a  given  input  at  the  soil-bedrock 
boundary; 

(Hi)  simultaneous  recordings  of  seismic  noise  (with  periods  of  0.1  second  up  to  1.0  second) 
at  different  points  of  an  area  and  comparison  of  the  amplitude ; 

(iv)  measurement  of  seismic  impedance  using  the  propagation  velocity  of  P  and  S  waves  along 
profiles  crossing  the  area. 

The  above  techniques  are  listed  in  the  order  of  preference  and  the  application  of  two  or 
three  such  methods  is  desirable.  The  results  may  substantially  change  the  average  hazard  figures. 
The  above  techniques  provide  information  only  within  the  elastic  range  of  deformation  of  the 
foundation  materials  and  should  be  used  with  caution  in  deposits  of  low  shear  strength  or  in 
materials  which  may  lose  their  shear  strength  with  increasing  intensity  of  shaking.  The  scientific 
uncertainties  which  beset  micro-zoning  techniques  demand  that  extreme  caution  be  taken  when 
trying  to  carry  out  micro-zoning  of  recent  alluvial  deposits. 


22 


VII.   VOLCANOES 


7.1  Introduction 

Volcanic  emergencies  differ  from  other  types  of  large-scale  emergency  such  as  earthquakes 
and  hurricanes  in  that  it  is  possible  to  delineate  very  specific  and  relatively  small  danger  areas 
of  generally  less  than  100  km2  where  devastation  may  be  nearly  total.  In  a  situation  where  an 
eruption  threatens  to  become  violent,  evacuation  becomes  a  logical  and  necessary  step.  Precursors 
to  a  possible  violent  eruption  of  a  known  volcano  may  develop  over  a  period  as  long  as  many 
months  before  the  eruptive  climax,  and  this  poses  the  problem  of  deciding  upon  the  point  at 
which  the  evacuation  of  population  becomes  necessary  and  also  the  point  at  which  the  evacu- 
ation should  be  ended. 

In  other  regions  where  volcanic  activity  occurs  at  locations  over  a  wide  area  without  clear 
correlation  with  previous  craters,  the  interpretation  of  possible  precursors  is  more  difficult. 
Decisions  involving  mitigation  of  risk  after  the  outbreak  of  an  eruption  should,  however,  be  based 
on  experience  of  the  character  and  course  of  previous  eruptions  at  the  better-known  volcanoes 
in  the  region. 

There  are  numerous  different  types  of  volcanic  activity  which  present  substantially  different 
hazards.  For  example,  glowing  avalanches  may  descend  the  flanks  of  a  volcano  at  speeds  in  excess 
of  100  km/h,  whilst  lava  flows  generally  advance  at  no  more  than  a  few  tens  of  metres  per  hour. 
A  detailed  review  of  the  different  types  of  volcanic  activity,  their  physical  consequences  and  the 
appropriate  protective  measures  to  be  applied  is  given  in  the  UNDRO  publication  entitled 
"Disaster  prevention  and  mitigation  —  Volume  7  :  Volcanological  Aspects". 

7.2  Hazard  zoning 

Information  on  volcanic  hazard  needed  by  civil  defence  authorities  in  volcanic  areas  is  best 
presented  in  the  form  of  hazard  zoning  maps.  Such  maps  must  be  based  on  the  records  of  each 
volcano's  history,  using  all  historical  data  supplemented  and  extended  back  by  stratigraphic 
studies.  The  products  of  each  eruption  should  be  identified,  their  areal  distribution  and  volume 
measured,  and  the  type  of  eruption  established.  It  is  also  worthwhile  monitoring  the  chemical 
composition  of  the  materials  emitted  during  the  course  of  a  prolonged  eruption,  because  system- 
atic change  in  composition  can  in  some  cases  be  correlated  with  the  type  and  violence  of  volcanic 
activity. 

Such  zoning  maps  show  the  nature  and  frequency  of  specific  volcEinic  hazards,  and  hence 
the  risk  to  life  and  property.  These  maps  are  assential  when  planning  action  to  minimize  risk  if 
and  when  an  eruption  happens. 


23 


7.3  Risk  assessment  and  mitigation 

Where  the  type  of  volcanic  activity  is  capable  of  causing  total  devastation,  the  viilnerability 
is  100  per  cent  and  the  risk  is  directly  proportional  to  the  hazard.  A  numerical  assessment  of  the 
hazard  should  be  made  by  vulcanologists  after  they  have  carried  out  a  systematic  and  comprehen- 
sive study  of  relevant  historical  precedents. 

The  nature  and  violence  of  most  volcanic  phenomena  make  it  practically  impossible  to 
reduce  the  vulnerability  of  human  life  and  property  to  below  100  per  cent.  The  only  way  to 
mitigate  risk  is  therefore  to  reduce  the  elements  at  risk  either,  on  a  long-term  basis,  by  restricting 
human  settlement  and  investment  in  hazardous  zones  or,  on  a  short-term  basis,  by  evacuating 
populations  and  movable  goods  from  such  zones  during  periods  of  increased  hazard  (i.e.  periods 
of  actual  or  predicted  eruptive  activity). 

There  nevertheless  remain  certain  possibilities  of  reducing  vulnerability  to  some  volcanic 
phenomena  such  as  ash  falls,  lapilli  showers,  etc.  Sloping  roofs  are  less  liable  than  flat  roofs  to 
collapse  under  layers  of  ash;  windows  of  houses  may  be  boarded  up  to  reduce  the  risk  of  fires 
started  by  incandescent  lava  bombs,  etc;  some  agricultural  crops  are  less  vulnerable  to  ash  falls 
than  others. 

7.4  Methods  of  hazard  assessment 

The  essential  problem  of  volcanic  prediction  is  not  the  identification  of  the  onset  of  an 
eruption,  but  the  assessment  of  the  level  to  which  the  activity  will  ultimately  escalate  and  the 
rate  of  escalation.  There  are  no  specific  precursors  to  eruptive  climaxes  such  as  the  emission  of 
glowing  avalanches,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  assess  the  situation  on  a  probabilistic  basis, 
utilizing : 

(i)     Global  statistics  for  the  onset  of  glowing  avalanche  emission  as  a  function  of  time  elapsed 
after  the  beginning  of  the  eruption. 

(ii)     Regional  statistics  on  the  ratio  of  eruptions,  which  have  included  glowing  avalanche  emis- 
sion, to  those  which  had  no  associated  avalanches. 

(Hi)   Historical  data  on,  or  geological  reconstructions  of,  the  particular  eruptive  characteristics  of 
the  volcano  in  question. 

(iv)    A  weighting  factor  to  take  into  account  the  trend  of  activity,  i.e.  whether  increasing  or  de- 
creasing, at  the  eruption  in  question. 

From  recent  studies  made  on  the  first  two  of  the  above  items,  probability  statistics  can  be 
given  for  example  for  the  time  interval  between  the  onset  of  eruption  and  the  emission  of  the 
first  glowing  avalanche.  From  these  the  probability  can  be  given  whether  a  glowing  avalanche  is 
yet  to  occur,  as  a  function  of  time  elapsed  since  the  eruption  onset.  Similar  probability  assess- 
ments based  on  global  or  regional  experience  could  be  made  for  other  types  of  volcanic  activity, 
e.g.  tephra  falls,  mudflows  and  lava  flows.  The  problem  of  quantifying  the  hazard  is  one  of  the 
least  well  defined  but  one  of  the  most  critical  issues  in  volcanic  risk  management. 


24 


VIII.    RISK  ANALYSIS -A  METHODOLOGY 


8.1    Factors  affecting  impact 

Much  work  has  been  done  in  the  earth  sciences  to  define  the  physical  characteristics  of 
earthquakes,  storms  and  floods.  Less  has  been  done  to  carry  the  cuialysis  one  step  further,  i.e.  to 
increase  the  basic  understanding  of  how  these  natural  phenomena  by  their  severity,  including 
the  occurrence  of  natural  disasters,  can  affect  lives  and  property. 

For  a  number  of  purposes  (such  as  disaster  preparedness,  regional  and  settlement  planning 
and  insurance  activities),  it  is  necessary  to  estimate  the  casualty  and  damage  potential  of  geo- 
physical events  on  existing  or  future  populations  and  properties  at  risk,  using  whatever  pertinent 
information  is  currently  available.  Operational  decisions  must  be  made  on  a  day-to-day  basis 
whether  or  not  appropriate  background  knowledge  is  available. 

One  method  that  has  been  found  to  be  useful  particularly  for  insurance  purposes  is  based 
upon  the  utilization  of  computer  simulation  techniques  for  approximating  the  overlapping  and 
interaction  of  storm,  flood  and  earthquake  severity  patterns  with  the  spatial  arrays  of  population 
and  properties  at  risk. 

The  interaction  of  four  factors  determines  the  magnitude  of  natural  hazard  impact : 

—  The  first  factor  is  the  geographical  pattern  of  the  severity  of  the  phenomenon.  For  a 
tropical  cyclone,  it  is  the  pattern  of  highest  wind  which  occurred  during  the  storm's 
passage  and  the  geographical  extent  and  depth  of  coastal  inundation  caused  by  the  storm 
surge.  For  an  earthquake,  corresponding  examples  are  the  geographic  pattern  of  strong 
motion,  the  potential  for  fire  following  and  earthquake,  and  flooding  caused  by  the 
possible  occurrence  of  an  accompanying  tsunami. 

—  The  second  factor  is  the  number,  spatial  distribution  and  density  of  population  which 
is  exposed  to  the  effects  of  the  various  natural  hazards. 

—  The  third  factor  is  the  vulnerability  of  the  elements  at  risk  when  they  are  subjected  to 
a  given  wind  speed,  flood  depth  or  strong  ground  motion  intensity. 

—  The  final  factor  is  the  effect  of  local  conditions  in  modifying  the  severity  of  the  event 
at  a  given  location.  In  the  case  of  wind,  speed  and  direction  can  be  markedly  affected 
by  natural  topographical  features,  such  as  hills  and  valleys,  and  by  the  presence  of  towns 
or  even  isolated  buildings.  In  regard  to  storm  surge,  the  depth  and  extent  of  the  inunda- 
tion at  a  given  coastal  location  is  influenced  by  the  shape  of  the  coastline,  the  depth  of 
offshore  water  and,  of  course,  by  any  defences  such  as  sea-walls.  As  regards  earthquakes, 
local  pound  conditions  can  markedly  affect  the  severity  of  ground  motion.  The  spatial 
interactions  of  these  factors  determine  the  loss-producing  potential  of  the  storm  or  earth- 
quake. 

25 


8.2  Method  of  approximation 

In  order  to  approximate  the  risk,  a  means  was  needed  for  obtaining  a  quantitative  specifica- 
tion of  the  geographical  arrays  of  various  populations  and  properties  at  risk  in  the  United  States. 
A  computerized  grid  system  was  constructed  which  was  based  upon  a  one-tenth  of  a  degree 
latitude  by  one-tenth  of  a  degree  longitude  unit  grid.  About  eighty- five  thousand  units  are  needed 
to  represent  the  three  million  square  mile  area  of  the  forty-eight  continguous  states.  Each  grid 
area  contains  about  100  square  kUimeters  at  the  latitude  of  northern  Florida.  Information  on 
population,  their  vulnerabilities  to  loss,  and  the  effect  of  local  influences  on  the  severity  of  an 
event  can  be  assigned  to  each  grid. 

For  general  impact  assessment  purposes,  a  detailed  measure  of  the  geographical  distribution 
of  the  two  hundred  and  twenty  million  persons  and  fifty  million  single-family  dwellings  in  the 
United  States  has  been  obtained  by  allocation  of  numbers  of  persons  and  properties  to  the 
appropriate  grid  unit  addressed  in  the  computerized  data  bank.  This  national  grid  system  is 
currently  being  used  to  assess  the  casualty  and  damage  potentials  of  the  various  effects  associated 
with  the  occurrence  of  different  geophysical  events.  For  earthquakes,  the  effects  of  strong 
ground  motion  on  low-rise,  medium  and  high-rise  buildings  and  the  possibilities  of  fire  following 
earthquake  are  estimated.  For  tropical  cyclones,  the  wind  and  storm  surge  hazard  impacts  are 
simulated.  Effects  of  associated  phenomena  caused  by  severe  thunderstorm  activity  (e.g.  along 
a  squall  line,  tornadoes  and  haU)  are  also  approximated. 

Specification  of  the  geographical  severity  patterns  (maximum  wind  speed,  surge  depth, 
ground  motion)  that  can  be  expected  as  a  result  of  the  occurrence  of  a  geophysical  event  can  be 
attempted.  To  provide  a  means  of  approximating  these  patterns,  mathematical  generators  have 
been  developed.  These  computer-derived  patterns  are  compared  and  verified  with  actual  storm 
and  earthquake  patterns  whenever  possible.  In  general,  they  provide  adequate  approximations  of 
observed  conditions  although  each  geophysical  event  has  its  own  uniqueness.  However,  there  are 
internal  consistencies  and  physical  constraints  on  pattern  size,  shape  and  severity  gradient  among 
events  vsdth  comparable  physical  characteristics.  It  is  these  pattern  consistencies  on  which  the 
mathematical  generators  are  based.  For  tropical  cyclones,  the  geographical  severity  patterns 
(maximum  vidnd  speed  and  storm  surge  depth)  are  based  upon  particular  combinations  of  physi- 
cal characteristics  (storm  intensity  as  measured  by  central  barometric  pressure,  storm  size,  rate  of 
storm  movement,  stage  of  development  and  so  storm  path).  For  earthquakes,  the  geographical 
pattern  of  effects  is  expressed  in  terms  of  modified  Mercalli  intensity.  In  the  case  of  California 
this  pattern  is  expressed  in  terms  of  spectral  velocity  or  spectral  acceleration  by  wave  length 
category  for  various  types  of  buildings  based  upon  physical  characteristics  of  an  earthquake 
(Richter  magnitude,  depth,  epicentre  location,  type  and  orientation  of  fault  zone).  These  mathe- 
matically generated  severity  patterns,  which  are  based  upon  currently  available  information  in 
meteorology  and  seismology,  provide  a  very  rough  first  approximation  of  the  geophysical  event 
that  can  be  applied  to  the  population-at-risk  array  for  obtaining  at  least  order-of-magnitude 
estimates  of  potential  impact. 

8.3  Simulated  impacts 

These  generated  patterns  are  mathematically  superimposed  upon  the  spatial  arrays  of  popu- 
lation and  property  in  the  affected  areas.  Interaction  of  the  casualty  and  damage  vulnerabilities 


26 


of  the  population  and  property  array  together  with  these  severity  patterns  provide  a  measure  of 
impact  potential  of  the  simulated  storm  or  earthquake.  Summarization  of  the  computed  effects 
can  be  made  by  individual  grid  unit,  country,  state,  wind  speed,  surge  depth  or  ground  motion 
intensity  category.  Damage  impact  potential  of  a  simulated  storm  or  earthquake  to  a  specific 
kind  of  property  such  as  buildings  of  a  given  type,  can  be  expressed  in  terms  of  the  number  of 
buildings  that  are  exposed  to  wind,  surge  depth,  or  ground  motion  of  a  given  intensity,  the 
number  of  buildings  that  would  be  damaged,  and  the  expected  value  of  the  damage  to  the  affect- 
ed buildings. 

8.4    Possible  application  to  urban  and  regional  planning 

In  spite  of  many  drawbacks,  for  example  because  of  the  lack  of  appropriate  input  data, 
computer  simulation  techniques  provide  one  means  of  utilizing  the  meagre  amounts  of  pertinent 
data  and  knowledge  that  are  currently  available,  for  making  order-of-magnitude  assessments  of 
the  potential  impact  of  the  various  natural  hazards.  In  many  situations  the  results  of  simulation 
analyses,  provide  insights  into  the  casualty  and  damage-producing  capabilities  of  a  natural 
phenomenon  to  a  degree  which  cannot  be  obtained  using  other  approaches. 

The  interpretation  of  results  can  highlight  the  relative  importance  of  various  pieces  of 
input  information  in  determining  the  magnitude  of  the  potential  impact.  The  need  for  a  better 
knowledge  of  the  vulnerability  of  population  and  properties  when  a  geophysical  event  of  a  given 
severity  occurs,  has  been  emphasized  in  the  simulated  impacts  that  have  been  calculated. 

A  version  of  this  approach  could  possibly  be  used  in  developing  countries  in  order  to  ident- 
ify gaps  in  the  information  and  data  required  for  making  natural  risk  impact  assessments.  It  is 
possible  that  many  of  the  basic  information  needs  of  the  regional  and  city  planner  can  be  satis- 
fied with  the  use  of  current  knowledge  about  the  physical  characteristics  of  storms  and  earth- 
quakes in  the  area,  without  waiting  for  a  number  of  years  for  more  detailed  and  accurate  infor- 
mation. A  computerised  simulation  approach  has  been  used  to  provide  flood  loss  estimates  for 
the  fifty  million  single-family  dwellings  affected  by  this  hazard  in  the  United  States.  The  results 
of  these  simulations  provided  a  basis  for  the  development  of  a  joint  federal  government  and 
insurance  industry  national  flood  insurance  progrcimme  which  is  now  operational. 


27 


IX.   RISK  ANALYSIS  AND  PHYSICAL  PLANNING 


Disasters  have  major  direct  and  indirect  socio-economic  effects,  in  addition  to  the  physical 
destruction  that  may  occur.  This  is  even  more  significant  in  developing  countries  where  the  lag 
between  economic  development  and  demographic  growth  is  already  considerable. 

As  has  been  said  above,  disasters  have  both  immediate  and  long-term  implications  and  plans 
formulated  for  disaster-prone  areas  should  cover  both  these  contingencies.  It  should  also  be 
remembered  that  a  disastrous  occurence  may  initiate  a  chain  of  severe  hazards  in  addition  to  the 
direct  impact  damage. 

Risk  analysis  and  mapping  should  be  carried  out  not  only  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
physical  planning  but  also  of  sound  economic  and  social  development.  Maps  needed  for  such 
purposes  should  indicate  risk  implications  of  each  type  of  natural  phenomenon  and  attempt 
to  identify  and  guide  the  formulation  of  appropriate  action  programmes,  development  controls, 
land-use  zoning  regulations  and  special  building  codes,  etc.  For  the  respective  types  of  hazards 
these  should  ideally  be  at  the  micro-level.  It  is  also  necessary  to  provide  a  composite  risk  indi- 
cator for  guiding  policy  decisions  on  development  planning  and  macro-level  land-use  zoning. 
The  approach  to  risk  assessment  and  mapping  should  be  aimed  at  meeting  these  criteria  so  as  to 
provide  useful  guidance  to  generalists  such  as  planners,  administrators,  entrepreneurs  and  the 
community  at  risk.  The  information  to  be  provided  for  these  objectives  should  include  space 
defined  information  on  magnitude,  frequency,  duration,  areal  extent  and  speed  of  onset. 

The  series  of  action  programmes  that  would  need  such  detailed  risk  assessment  and  des- 
cription include: 

1.      Physical  planning 

(a)     Long  term 

(i)  Regional  plans,  master  plans  (macro-level)  including  settlement  development 
plans. 

(ii)     Re-development  and  re-settlement  plans. 

(Hi)   Area  development  plans  (micro-level). 

(iv)    Land- use  and  zoning  (micro-level). 

(v)     Development  control. 

(vi)    Special  building  codes  including  guidance  on  construction  techniques. 

(uii)  Master  plans  and  detailed  plans  for  infrastructural  facilities. 

(uiii)  Plcins  for  evacuation  routes  and  development  of  safety  shelter  network  and  com- 
munication links. 


28 


(b)    Short  term 

(i)      Site  selection  for  temporary  emergency  facilities  (transit  camps,  relief  centre 

network  organization,  supply  routes,  etc.). 
(ii)    Development  of  alternative  relief/rescue  routes  and  communication  links. 

Socio-economic  planning 

(i)      Industrial  and  other  capital  intensive  development  projects. 

(ii)  Scheduling  of  human  activities  in  terms  of  restricting/reducing  such  activities  in 
defined  crisis  periods,  modifying  cropping  patterns  for  avoidance  of  crisis  period 
and  introducing  appropriate  alternate  non-vulnerable  species,  etc.,  in  areas  of  risk. 

Administration 

Organization  of  administrative  machinery  for  pre-  and  post  disaster  operations  at  govern- 
mental, non-governmental  and  community  levels. 


29 


X.    RECOMMENDATIONS 


1.  UNDRO,  as  the  focal  point  in  the  United  Nations  system  for  activities  and  studies  concern- 
ed with  disasters,  should  in  the  implementation  of  the  following  recommendations  and  in 
other  appropriate  ways,  further  develop  and  extend  its  co-operation  with  UN  agencies  and 
with  other  bodies  having  responsibilities  in  the  field  of  disaster  management. 

2.  In  view  of  the  very  wide  potential  application  context  of  risk  and  vulnerability  analysis, 
UNDRO  should  make  fuller  use  of  specialist  advice  in  the  formulation  of  projects  in  this 
field. 

3.  The  report  of  this  meeting  should  be  regarded  as  an  interim  study  of  the  problems  of 
vulnerabihty  and  risk.  UNDRO  should  circulate  the  report,  inviting  comment  from  UN 
member  countries,  specialized  agencies  and  other  interested  bodies.  At  the  same  time 
UNDRO  should  arrange  for  detailed  studies  of  vulnerability  analysis  leading  to  a  compre- 
hensive publication  on  the  subject.  The  proposed  new  publication  would  cover  such  activi- 
ties as  the  testing  of  the  terminology  proposed  in  Chapter  I  for  aU  types  of  natural  disasters, 
the  preparation  of  a  more  detailed  specification  of  the  types  of  information  required  for  all 
the  different  natural  disasters,  the  calculation  of  specific  risk  and  total  risk  for  a  nvmiber 
of  examples  of  important  natural  hazards,  assembly  of  examples  of  the  use  of  information 
on  natural  hazard  and  vulnerability  in  the  planning  process,  and  so  on.  (The  meeting  was 
pleased  to  learn  that  plans  for  the  proposed  publication  are  included  in  the  UNEP/UNDRO 
series  of  monographs  on  Disaster  Prevention  and  Mitigation). 

4.  It  is  recommended  that  existing  UNDRO  publications  be  reviewed,  where  appropriate. 
The  case  study  on  composite  vulnerability  analysis  in  the  Metro  Manila  Area  should  be 
revised  in  the  light  of  the  concepts  developed  at  the  present  meeting. 

In  this  way  consistent  series  of  publications  would  be  produced  comprising: 

a)  a  basic  report  on  concepts  and  methodology, 

b)  a  series  of  volumes  on  current  knowledge  of  various  aspects  of  vulnerability  analysis 
and  related  problems, 

c)  case  studies  providing  valuable  guidance  to  all  concerned. 

5.  Taking  into  account  the  recommendations  and  proposals  of  this  meeting,  studies  of  vulner- 
ability analysis,  such  as  that  concerned  with  the  Metro  Manila  Area,  should  be  continued, 
preferably  in  the  form  of  pilot  projects  involving  the  participation  of  local  organizations 
and  their  staffs  and  co-ordinated  by  UNDRO.  In  addition,  UNDRO  in  conjunction  with 
UNCHS  (Habitat)  should  promote  studies  of  the  impact  of  national  disasters  on  human 
settlements. 


30 


6.  UNDRO  should  initiate  and  collaborate  in  programmes  aimed  at  a  considerable  expansion 
of  the  amount  of  data  available  on  natural  hazard,  vulnerability  and  risk  relating  to  all  types 
of  natural  disasters  and  should  organize  a  project  for  the  development  of  a  methodology  on 
damage  assessment. 

7.  UNDRO  and  UNCHS  (Habitat)  should  jointly  organize  an  emergency  task  force  for  immedi- 
ate and  appropriate  response  to  on  the  occurrence  of  a  natural  disaster  affecting  human 
settlements. 

The  task  force  would  evaluate  the  impact  of  a  disaster  on  the  settlement  structure  and 
would  draw  conclusions  on  physical  planning  and  urban  design  patterns  and  the  inter- 
related vulnerability.  The  task  force  would  also  advise  local  authorities  on  action  to  be  taken 
urgently  and  would  formulate  proposals  for  technical  assistance  programmes. 

8.  UNDRO  should  organize  training  courses  in  developing  countries  on  damage  assessment, 
vulnerability  analysis  and  risk  assessment. 

9.  UNDRO  should  undertake  periodical  reviews  of  progress  achieved  in  damage  assessment, 
vulnerability  and  risk,  and  should  try  to  ensure  steady  advance  over  the  whole  spectrum 
from  hazard  analysis  to  policy  and  planning  decisions. 

Such  reviews  might  usefully  be  carried  out  in  conjunction  with  appropriate  research  institu- 
tions. In  these  reviews  the  main  emphasis  should  gradually  shift  from  hazard/vulnerability/ 
risk  definition  and  analysis  to  the  development  of  planning  techniques  using  knowledge 
and  experience  gained. 

10.  UNDRO,  besides  adopting  the  terms  and  definitions  produced  by  the  meeting,  should 
endeavour  to  promote  their  general  usage,  at  the  same  time  inviting  comments  on  the  value 
of  these  terms  and  definitions  in  practical  application. 

11.  UNDRO  should  support  in  all  appropriate  ways  earthquake  reconnaissance  missions,  such 
as  those  organized  by  UNESCO.  Such  missions  would,  inter  alia,  gather  quantitative  obser- 
vational  data,  thereby  helping  to  overcome  the  extreme  paucity  of  such  data  relating  par- 
ticularly to  the  vulnerability  of  buildings  and  structures  to  earthquake  ground  movements. 


31 


ANNEX    I 


AGENDA 

1 .  Opening  of  meeting  —  Address  by  the  UN  Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator. 

2.  Election  of  Chairman  and  Rapporteur. 

3.  Adoption  of  agenda. 

4.  Plenary  review  and  discussion  of  work  undertaken  by  UNDRO  and 
others  in  vulnerability  analysis:  comments  on  UNDRO  studies,  defini- 
tion of  concepts  and  parameters. 

5.  Organization  of  meeting  into  working  groups  to  consider  specific 
aspects  of  the  problem,  and  preparation  of  draft  reports  and  recommen- 
dations on  each  of  them. 

6.  Discussion  in  plenary  of  group  reports  and  amalgamation  of  these  into 
an  integrated  whole. 

7.  Adoption  of  report. 

8.  Closure  of  meeting. 


32 


ANNEX  II 


LIST    OF    PARTICIPANTS 


EXPERTS 


Dr.  S.T.  Algermissen 

United  States  Department  of  the  Interior 

Geological  Survey 

Box  25046 

Denver  Federal  Centre 

Denver,  Colorado  80225 

United  States  of  America 

Professor  N.  Ambraseys 
Department  of  Civil  Engineering 
Imperial  College 
Imperial  Institute  Road 
London  SW7  2BU 
United  Kingdom 

Professor  S.  Bjornsson 
Department  of  Geophysics 
University  of  Iceland 
Reykjavik  —  Iceland 

Professor  A.  Ciborowski 
ul.  Haukego  8 
01-540  Warsaw 
Poland 

Mr.  J.  Despeyroux 

Civil  Engineer 

SOCOTEC 

17,  Place  Etienne  Bemet 

75015  Paris 

France 

Professor  I.  Dooge 
School  of  Engineering 
University  College 
Dublin  -  Ireland 


Dr.  D.  Friedman 

The  Travellers  Insurance  Companies 

1 ,  Tower  Square 

Hartford,  Connecticut  06115 

United  States  of  America 

Mr.  V.  Kamik 

Geofisikalni  Ustav 

Bocni  II  -  CP  1401 

14  131  Praha  4  —  Sporilov 

Czechoslovakia 

Mr.  J.  van  der  Made 
Koninginnelaan  43 
2275  CK  Voorburg 
Netherlands 

Mr.  P.  Meade 
Luccombe 
Coronation  Road 
South  Ascot 
Berks  SL5  9LP 
United  Kingdom 

Mr.  S.  Rajagopal 

Joint  Director 

Housing  and  Urban  Development  Department 

Government  of  Tamil  Nadu 

807  Anna  Salai 

Madras  —  India 

Dr.  J.  Tomblin 
Seismic  Research  Institute 
University  of  West  Indies 
St.  Augustine 
Trinidad  and  Tobago 


33 


Dr.  D.  Vames 

United    States    Department    of   the  Interior         Mr.  Ma  Xingyuan 

Geological  Survey  Deputy  Director 

Box  25046  State  Seismological  Bureau 

Denver  Federal  Centre  Peking 

Denver,  Colorado  80225  —  U.S.A.  China 


AGENCIES 


•  Food  and  Agriculture  Organization 
F.A.O.  (Rome) 

Mr.  K.  Wagner 

•  International  Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development 
I.B.R.D.   (Washington  D.C.) 

Mr.  C.B.  Boucher 

•  United  Nations  Centre  for  Human  Settlements  (Habitat) 
UNCHS  (Nairobi) 

Mr.  J.  Miller 

•  United  Nations  Development  Programme 
UNDP  (Geneva) 

Mr.  Petitpierre,  Mr.  Desai  and  Miss  Bekker 

•  United  Nations  Environment  Programme 
UNEP  (Nairobi) 

Mr.  O.  Popyrin 

•  United  Nations  Educational,  Scientific  and  Cultural  Organization 
UNESCO  (Paris) 

Mr.  E.M.   Foumier  d'Albe 

•  World  Meteorological  Organization 
WMO  (Geneva) 

Mr.  E.A.  Hassan 


34 


ANNEX    III 


NOTE  ON    THE  DEFINITION  OF  THE  CONCEPT  OF  VULNERABILITY 
AND  ON  THE  EVALUATION  OF  THE  RISK  ATTACHED  TO  NATURAL  PHENOMENA 


1 .  General 

The  purpose  of  this  note  is  to  summarize  the  main  lines  of  a  method  for  evaluating  in  a 
way  as  simple  as  possible  the  probable  loss  associated  with  natural  hazards  for  a  given  population 
of  construction,  facilities,  etc.,  at  a  given  site. 

The  concepts  to  be  introduced  or  taken  into  account  are: 

■  the  randomness  of  natural  hazards  at  the  given  site, 

■  the  vulnerability  of  the  structures  located  on  the  site, 

■  the  importance  of  the  elements  (human  population,  capacities  of  production,  dwellings, 
invested  capitals,  etc.)  possibly  affected,  these  elements  are  referred  to  as  "elements  at 
risk", 

■  the  risk  which  is  the  probable  loss  to  be  expected  within  a  fixed  period  of  time  (period 
of  reference). 

Each  kind  of  phenomenon  defined,  with  respect  to  its  effects  on  the  site,  by  its  magnitude 
(x„)  which  is  a  variable  or  a  set  of  variables.  The  distribution  of  (x)  is  generally  known  through 
the  function  0  (x),  which  defines  the  probability  of  the  magnitude  x  being  exceeded  within 
the  period  of  reference.  Alternatively,  the  functions  F(x)  =  1  -  0  (x)  which  defines  the  prob- 
ability of  X  not  being  exceeded,  or  p(x)  —  dF^  which  is  the  probability  density  function,  can  be 
used.  "•'^ 

The  vulnerability  may  be  expressed  as  the  degree  of  damage  inflicted  on  a  structure  or  on  a 
population  of  structures  by  a  natural  phenomenon  of  given  magnitude.  Let  c<  be  this  degree  of 
damage  which  is  expressed  as  a  random  function  of  x.  It  is  a  function  of  x 

2.  Theoretical  background 

A  complete  solution  of  the  problem  should  involve  the  randomness  of  the  mechanical 
properties  of  the  structures  (especially  their  strength)  and  of  their  vulnerability  as  defined  above. 

In  this  case,  the  evaluation  of  the  risk  should  be  performed  in  the  following  way: 

The  distribution  of  the  hazard  (H)  is  known  through  its  probability  density  function  p  ^xj 

or  the  probability  of  exceedance  0    (x). 

H 


35 


The  distribution  of  the  strength  (S)  is  known  through  its  probability  density  function 
Po  (h)  or  the  probability  of  non-exceedance  F^  (x). 


Fg(x) 


Ofj(x) 


X  x+dx 


•A      tA/   1    t**A^ 


Figure  1 


Figure  2 


From  Figure  1,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  probability  of  failure  associated  with  the  probability 
of  the  hazard  x  being  comprised  between  x  and  x  +  dx  is: 

df=Pjj  Fg  dx 

From  Figure  2,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  probability  of  failure  associated  with  the  probability 
of  the  strength  x  lying  between  x  and  a;  +  dx  is: 

df=Pg  0^  dx 

so  that  the  probability  of  failure  for  the  whole  distribution  of  :x:  is: 

,-  OO  -  00 

The  elementary  specific  risk  associated  with  the  probability  of  the  magnitude  of  the  event 
between  x  and  x     dx  is: 

JL=^(x)Pjj  Fg  dx=  o<    (x)pg  0JJ  dx 
where  (er)  are  the  elements  at  risk  and,  the  whole  distribution,  the  specific  risk  is: 
-.  \°°  0<    (x)  Fg  (x)  pjj  (x)  dx  =  f  °  o<     (x)pg  (x)  0^  (x)  dx 


r  . 
er 


In  both  expressions,  the  first  two  terms  under  the  sign  of  integration  depend  only  upon  the 
structures,  and  the  third  one  only  upon  the  natural  phenomenon.  The  first  two  terms  thus  define 
the  vulnerability  when  taking  into  account  the  randomness  of  the  properties  of  structures.  It 
may  be  seen  that  this  definition  changes  depending  upon  whether  the  hazard  is  introduced 
through  its  probability  of  exceedance  or  through  its  density  of  probability. 


36 


3.      Simplifications  and  practical  applications 

As  the  available  data  are  not  sufficient  for  treating  the  problem  is  the  sophisticated  way 
sketched  above,  and  as  such  complexity  is  not  desirable  for  practical  purposes,  simplifications 
appear  to  be  necessary. 

The  first  simplification  is  to  consider  that  the  randomness  of  the  strength  of  structures 
and,  as  a  consequence,  of  their  viilnerability,  is  negligible  with  respect  to  the  variability  of  the 
hazard. 

In  this  case  the  functioncx^  (x)  has  a  profile  rather  similar  to  the  one  represented  in  Figure  3. 


kPfj(x) 


X 


Figure  3 

From  Figure  3  it  may  be  seen  that  the  elementary  specific  risk  associated  with  the  prob- 
ability of  the  magnitude  x  lying  between  x  and  x  +  dx  is: 

dr 


^gr  j  -  '^  (x)  p^  (x)  dx 
and  for  the  whole  range  of  magnitudes,  the  specific  risk  is: 

**  ,-oo    ^ 

-=       <A  (x)Pjj(x)  dx 


er 


Taking  into  account  the  particular  values  of  ^  for  x  <  x^    ot  x  >  x  ^  yields: 
—^  \    "  c<    (x)  p^  (x)  dx  +  0^  (x^) 

Xq 

A  further  simplification,  is  to  replace  the  curve  (x)  by  a  step  function  (Figure  4). 
(K(x) 


Figure  4 


37 


It  may  be  seen  that  in  this  case  the  expression  of  the  specific  risk  takes  the  form: 

(er)        }  J  J 

The  probability  of  exceedance  0-   is  generally  tabulated.  The  designer  has  only  to  compute 
thc'^  c<  from  the  table  of  the  values  of  o<  and  perform  the  simimation  above. 


38 


ANNEX  IV 


AN  EXAMPLE  OF  A  QUESTIONNAIRE  ON  DISASTER  DAMAGE* 

Questionnaire  I 

A  SOCIO-ECONOMIC  HOUSEHOLD  SURVEY  TO  FIND  OUT  THE  EXTENT  OF  DAMAGE 
CAUSED  BY  THE  RECENT  FLOODS  AND  LANDSLIDES  IN  THE  NILGIRIS  TOWN/DISTRICT 


GENERAL  INFORMATION: 

1.  Place    

2.  Taluk 

3.  District 

4.  Name  of  the  Head  of  the  Household 

Adults  Children 

5.  Household 

Male 

Female 

6.  a)  Household  income  from  employment  Employment  in  Numbers  Monthly  income  in  Rs. 

i)        Employment  in  private  Offices  

ii)       Employment  in  Government 

Offices  

Hi)      Employment  in  Plantations  

iv)      Employment:  Daily  Wages  

v)        Self  Employed  

b)  Household  income  from  other  sources  Monthly  income  in  Rs. 

Hi) 

c)  Total  monthly  income  of  the  Household 
in  Rs. 

7 .  Does  the  household  posseses  a  dv\relling  Unit  YES  /  NO 

a)  if  "YES"  please  give  details:  Terraced/Tiled/Thatched/Mud  Walls 

b)  if  "NO"  virhere  are  you  put  up: 

8.  Particulars  regarding  the  property  of  the 
Household: 


*This  questionnaire  was  used  in  the  Anti-disaster  Planning  Programme  of  the  State  Government  of  Tamil  Nadu,  India. 


39 


Immovable 
List  of  items  Approximate  value  in  Rs. 


List  of  items 


Movable 

Approximate  value  in  Rs. 


a. 

a. 

h. 
c. 

h. 

c. 

d. 
e. 
f. 

d. 

e. 

f. 

IL       LOSS  OF  UFE  AND  LIMB  TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD: 

1.  Has  any  member  of  the  Household  been  affected                                           YES/NO 
physically  by  the  floods  or  the  landslides    

2.  If  "YES"  state  the  nature  of  disablement: Sex:  ....   Age:  ....   Number: 

i)   Loss  of  human  life    

ii)  Physically  hadicapped 

3.  Give  details  about  the  mishap:     

4.  Has  the  Household  experienced  any  loss  in                                                     YES/NO 
domestic  animals: 

5.  If  "YES"  give  particulars  of  the  nature  of  loss: 


SI 

No. 


Kind  of  animal 


Number  of  animals  lost 


Value   of  animals  lost  in  Rs.  No. 


i)   Cows 
ii)  Bullocks 
Hi)  Sheep 

iv) 

V) 

vi) 


III.  ECONOMIC  LOSS  TO  THE  HOUSEHOLD: 

1.  Damage  to  Immovable  property: 

Nature  of  damage  Value  of  loss  in  Rs. 

a)  Dwelling  house: 

i)   Washed  away  by  the  floods:      

ii)  Collapsed:     

Hi)  Partially  damaged:       

2.  Damage  to  Movable  property: 


40 


Items  Nature  of  damage      Extent  of  damage 

of  the  damage  in  Rs. 

a)  Agricultural  implements 

b)  Bullock  Carts 

c)  Cycles    

d)  Motor  Cycles 

e)  Tractors  and  Trucks    

f)  Cars 

g)  Pump  Sets 

i)   Oil  engines    

ii)  Electric  installations 

h)  Others    


3.  Damage  to  crops: 

a)  Areas  under  cultivation: 

Tj.„„„                                          „  .     ,.                    Extent  of  afected     ,,  ,        „,       .    „ 
Items                                          Extent  m  acres  Value  of  loss  m  Rs. 
area  in  acres 

a 

b 

c 

d 

e 


b)  Lands  of  the  Household  damaged  due  to  floods  and  landslides: 


SI 
No. 


Nature  of  damage 


Extent  in  acres  Value  of  loss  in  Rs. 


i)   Silt    

ii)  Uneven  surface 

Hi)  Loss  of  fertility    

iv)  Inundation    

v)  Others    

c)  Source  of  Irrigation:  Wells/Borewells/Piped  water/Rain  fed/Others 

d)  In  there  any  damage  to  the  irrigation  supply:  YES/NO 

e)  If  "YES"  please  give  details: 

ci 

Irrigation  system  Nature  of  damage  Extent  of  damage         Extent  of  loss  in  Rs. 

No. 

i)   Wells    

ii)  Borewells    

Hi)  Piped  water 

i\))  Others    


41 


4.  Have  you  insured  your  crops?  YES/NO 

a)  If  "YES"  what  is  the  amount  you  have  insured  for? 

b)  Have  you  claimed  compensation?  YES/NO 

c)  If  "YES"  have  you  got  it  ? 

d)  If  "NO"  what  is  your  problem  ? 

5.  Other  belongings  of  the  household  which  haveeconomic  value  damaged  may  be  listed  out  below: 


Item  Nature  of  damage      Extent  of  damage      Value  of  loss  in  Rs. 

i)        Domestic  utensils 

ii)       Furniture    

Hi)      Textiles    

iv)      Jewellery    

v)       Foodgrains    

vi)      Title  deeds/bonds/share 

certificate/promissory 

notes/Mortgage  deeds  etc 

vii)     Others    

IV.     IMPACT  ON  THE  SOCIAL  CONDITIONS  OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD  BY  THIS  NATURAL  DISASTER 

1.  How  does  the  Household  feel  the  burden  of  this  natural  havoc? 

2.  Has  the  Household  received  the  relief  offered  by  the  Government?  YES/NO 

3.  If  "YES"  explain  the  nature  of  relief  in  detail: 

4.  If  "NO"  how  did  the  members  of  the  Household  manage  the  situation  ? 

5.  Do  you  think  whether  the  social  tenor  of  your  life  has  been  affected 

in  any  way  by  the  disaster  ?  YES/NO 

6.  If  "YES"  how? 

7.  Remarks  if  any: 


42 


ANNEX  IV 

Questionnaire  II 

A  SURVEY  OF  INDUSTRIAL  ESTABLISHMENTS  TO  ASSESS  THE  DAMAGE 
CAUSED  BY  RECENT  FLOODS  AND  LANDSLIDES  IN  THE  NILGIRIS  DISTRICT 

MANUFACTURING/SERVICING 

I.        IDENTIFICATION  AND  GENERAL  DESCRIPTION 

1.  Name  of  the  establishment 

2.  Location 

i)        Municipality    

ii)       Ward/Area 

Hi)      Street 

3.  Nature  of  ownership  .  . Proprietary /Partnership/Public  or  Private  Ltd /Co-operative /Other 

4.  Date  of  the  estabUshment  of  the  firm 

5.  Number  and  type  of  Unit(s) 

6.  Name  of 

i)        Principal  products 

ii)       Services    

7.  a)        Number  of  working  days  (last  year) 

b)       Number  of  shifts    

8.  Capacity  and  production 

a)  What  is  the  installed  capacity  of  your  estabUshment    

b)  What  is  the  annual  production 

i)        Quantity 

ii)       Value  in  Rs 

c)  What  is  your  production  target  for  the  year  1978 

i)        Quantity 

ii)       Value  in  Rs 

9.  Raw  material  used: 

Items  Quantity  Value  in  Rs. 


a. 
b. 
c. 
d. 


10.     Employment 

Total  working  force  employed 

i)        Men  in  numbers 

ii)       Women  in  numbers  .  .  .  , 


43 


11.  Where  are  your  products  marketed 

i)        locally 

ii)       outside 

12.  Mode  of  transportation  of  finished  goods:  ROAD/RAIL 

13.  Whether  this  organization  making  profit  or  not:  YES/NO 

14.  If  "NO"  what  is  the  extent  of  loss    

II.       DAMAGE  CAUSED  TO  THE  ESTABUSHMENTS  BY  THE  RECENT  FLOODS  AND  LANDSLIDES 

1.  Has  your  establishment  been  affected  by  the  recent  natural  disaster :  YES/NO 

2.  If  "YES"  the  extent  of  damage  in  terms  of: 

a)  Number  of  man  days/hours  lost 

b)  Loss  of  total  production 

i)        Quantity 

ii)       Value  in  Rs 

c)  Damage  to  the  building: 


Item 

Nature  of  damage 

How  it  occurred 

Value  of  the 
damage  in  Rs. 

i) 

ii) 

Hi) 

d) 

Damage  to  the  machinery : 

Item 

Nature  of  damage 

How  it  occurred 

Value  of  the 
damage  in  Rs. 

i) 
ii) 
Hi) 


e)  Loss  of  life  and  limb  to  the  employees  of  the  organization : 

i)        Was  there  any  loss  in  human  life?  YES/NO 

ii)       If  "YES"  how  many  deaths? 

Male 

Female 

Hi)      How  did  it  happen? 

iv)      Was  any  one  handicapped  physically  ?  YES/NO 

V)       If  "YES"  how  many  ? 

Male 

Female 

vi)       How  did  it  happen  ? 

vii)     What  is  the  nature  of  disablement  ? 

f)  Is  there  any  damage  caused  to  the  stored  items?  YES/NO 


44 


g)       If  "YES"  what  is  the  nature  of  the  damage : 


Item  Nature  of  damage      How  it  occurred  ^^^"^  °^  ^^^ 


damage  in  Rs. 


i) 
ii) 
in) 
iv) 


h)       What  is  the  approximate  total  loss  caused  by  this  disaster  in  Rs. 


45 


ANNEX  IV 

Questionnaire  III 

PROFORMA  FOR  COLLECTING  THE  PARTICULARS  OF  DAMAGE  CAUSED  BY 

THE    RECENT    FLOODS    AND  LANDSLIDES    IN  NILGIRIS  FROM  VARIOUS  GOVERNMENTAL, 

SEMI- GOVERNMENT  ORGANIZATIONS  AND    LOCAL    BODIES 

DAMAGE  TO  GOVERNMENT  ORGANIZATIONS 

1.  Government  of  India  undertaking: 

■   Nature  and  extent  of  damage  caused  to  tiie  functionary  departments  of  the  Central  Government 
organization  in  detail. 

Name  of  the  functionnary  Damage  in  terms        Value  loss  in 

department  Nature  of  damage      Extent  of  damage      of  Km/acres  terms  of  Rs. 

distance/area 

1.  Central  Public  Works 

Department 

2.  National  Highways 

3.  Post  &  Telegraphs 

4.  Telephones 

5.  State  Farms  Corporation 

6.  Nationalized  Corporation 

7 .  Central  Warehousing 

Corporation 

2.  State  Government  Undertakings 
a)    Highways  Department 

i)       Damage  caused  to  roads,  bridges  and  culverts 

Items  Nature  of  damage      Extent  of  damage      Damage  in  Km/in  Nos.  Value  loss 

in  Rs. 

By  floods: 

1.  Roads 

2.  Culverts 

3.  Bridges 

4.  Others    

Items  Nature  of  damage      Extent  of  damage      Damage  in  Km/in  Nos.  Value  loss 

in  Rs. 

By  land-slides: 

1.  Roads 

2.  Culverts    

3.  Bridges 

4.  Others 


46 


b)  Public  Works  Department : 

i)        What  is  tiie  damage  caused  to  irrigation  tanlis? 

ii)       Nature  and  extent  of  damage  caused  by  the  disaster? 

Hi)      What  is  the  nature  and  extent  of  damage  caused  to  the  Traveller's  Bungalow  and  buildings 
maintained  by  the  P.W.D.  ? 

—  Nature  of  damage 

—  Number  of  buildings  affected 

—  Extent  of  damage 

—  Value  of  loss  in  Rs 

c)  Other  Departments  affected  by  the  floods  and  landslides : 
i)        Hospitals 

1.  Nature  of  damage 

2.  Extent  of  damage 

3.  Damage  to  equipments  and  vehicles  if  any 

4.  Damage  to  buildings 

5.  Damage  to  medicines 

6.  Damage  to  medical  stores 

7.  Value  of  loss  in  Rs 

ii)       Educational  Institutions 

1.  Number  of  institutions  affected 

2.  Nature  of  damage 

3.  Damage  to  buildings 

4.  Damage  to  equipments    

5.  Extent  of  damage 

6.  Value  of  loss  in  Rs 

Hi)      Warehousing  (Corporations 

1.  Number  of  godowns  affected    

2.  Nature  of  damage 

3.  Extent  of  damage 

4.  Damage  to  the  stored  articles    

5.  Damage  to  buildings 

6.  Value  in  loss  in  Rs 

iv)      Civil  Supphes  Corporation 

1 .  Nature  of  damage 

2.  Extent  of  damage 

3.  Value  of  loss  in  Rs 

v)       Government  Transport  System 

1.  Is  there  any  damage  caused  to  the  transport  vehicles:  YES/NO 

2.  If  "YES"  what  is  the  nature  of  the  damage  ? 

3.  Total  number  of  vehicles  damaged 

4.  Is  there  any  damage  to  the  transport  depots?  YES/NO 

5.  If  "YES"  what  is  the  nature  of  the  damage  ? 

6.  The  extent  of  damage 

7.  Total  value  of  loss  in  Rs 

II.      DAMAGE  TO  THE  SEMI -GOVERNMENTAL  ORGANIZATIONS 

1.       Tamil  Nadu  Water  and  Drainage  Board-Damage  to:  Buildings/Installations 

i)        What  is  the  nature  of  the  damage  ? 

ii)       What  is  the  extent  of   the  damage? 

Hi)      Value  of  loss  in  Rs 


47 


2.       Tamil  Nadu  Electricity  Board 

a)  What  is  the  damage  caused  to : 

i)        Transmission  lines 

ii)       Transformer  stations 

Hi)      Buildings 

iv)       Others    

b)  What  is  the  nature  of  damage  ? 

c)  What  is  the  extent  of  damage  ? 

d)  Value  of  loss  in  Rs 

III.     DAMAGE  TO  LOCAL  BODIES 

The  nature  and  extent  of  damage  caused  under  the  following  categories : 

Major  Heads  Nature  of  damage      Extent  of  damage  Damage  in  terms  Valueless 

of  distance/Nos.  etc.  in  Rs. 

1.  Roads 

2.  Educational  Institutions 

3.  Buildings 

4.  Hospital 

5.  Water  Supply 

6.  Sewage 

7.  Municipal  Markets    


IV.     SPECIFIC  SUGGESTIONS  IF  ANY 


48 


ANNEX  V 


UNDRO    PUBLICATIONS 


DISASTER  PREVENTION  AND  MITIGATION :  A  COMPENDIUM  OF  CURRENT  KNOWLEDGE 

English/French/Spanish 


Volume  1 

Volume  2 

Volume  3 

Volume  4 

Volume  5 


Volcanological  Aspects 
Hydrological  Aspects 
Seismological  Aspects 
Meteorological  Aspects 
Land  Use  Aspects 


Volume  6 
Volume  7 
Volume  8 
Volume  9 
Volume  10 


(in  preparation) 

Economic  Aspects 

(in  preparation) 

Legal  Aspects 

Public  Information  Aspects 


GUIDELINES  FOR  DISASTER  PREVENTION 

English/French/Spa  nish 

Volume    1:      Pre-Disaster  Physical  Planning  of  Human  Settlements 
Volume    2:      Building  Measures  for  Minimizing  the  Impact  of  Disasters 
Volume    3:      Management  of  Settlements 

TEN   QUESTIONS   ON   UNDRO   (leaflet)     EngUsh/French/Spanish/Arabic/Japanese. 
UNDRO  NEWS :   Newsletter  published  every  two  months     (bilingual  English/French). 

CASE    REPORTS 

•  Indonesia,  Earthquake,  1976.  (No.  002)  EngUsh. 

•  Turkey,  Earthquake,  Van  Province,  1976.  (No.  003)    English. 

• 


Mozambique,  Floods,  1977.  (No.  004)  English/French. 

Oman,  Cyclone  and  Torrential  Rains,  1977.  (No.  005)  English/French. 

Sri  Lanka,  Cyclone,  1978.  (No.  006)  English. 


•  Jamaica,  Floods,  1979.  (No.  007)  English. 

•  Dominica,  Hurricanes,  1979.  (No.  008)    EngUsh. 

•  Dominican  Republic,  Hurricanes,  1979.  (No.  009)  English. 

COMPOSITE    VULNERABILITY    ANALYSIS :    A  Methodology  and  Case  Study  of  the  Metro  Manila  Area 
(Revised  Technical  Report).  1976-1977.    EngUsh/French/Spanish. 

DOCUMENTS 

Office  of  the  UN  Disaster  Relief  Co-ordinator.  Reports  of  the  Secretary-General  to  the  UN  General  Assembly. 

English/French/Spanish/Russian/Chinese. 

The   Protection  of  Human   Settlements   from  Natural  Disasters.  (A/CONF.70/B/7).     English/French/Spanish. 
Russian/Chinese. 

Water:  Resource  and  Hazard  (A/CONF.70/A.28).  EngUsh/French/Spanish/Russian. 

The  Potential  Applications  of  Satellite  Remote  Sensing  Technology  to  Natural  Disasters.  (A/AC.105/C.1/L.92). 
English/French/Spanish/Russian. 

UNCHS/Habitat    PUBLICATIONS 

Low  Cost  Construction  Resistant  to  Earthquakes  and  Hurricanes.  Sales  No.  75.IV.7.     English/Fiench/Spanish. 
Repair  of  Buildings  Damaged  by  Earthquakes.  Sales  No.  77. IV. 8.    English/French/Spanish. 


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