Risk Informer

• What is the Risk Informer?
• What are the key components of the Risk Informer?
• What services does the Risk Informer deliver?
• How are the services delivered?

 

What is the Risk Informer?

The Risk Informer is an online system to provide basic information on risks and risk baselines that can be applied to disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities. Besides providing technical support and information services to the international DRR community, the Risk Informer also serves as a public platform for sharing knowledge, skills and experiences in conducting risk assessments, establishing Risk Information Systems (RISs), and applying risk knowledge to decision/policy making. It has been designed as self–supporting system under GRIP coordination and facilitation.

What are the key components of the Risk Informer?

Country factsheets A compilation of country profiles built on available risk information. It includes a methodology to perform country situation analyses that allows for the preparation of comprehensive catalogues of risk assessment studies and the compilation of information on data availability, institutional capacity, legal framework, and national DRR practices. Country Factsheets provide essential baselines in terms of the current status of risk assessment, opportunities and challenges, existing local capacity ̶ both technical and institutional, support needs, etc. These are major inputs to: Delineate national risk assessment programs and implementation strategies; Establish institutional and legal frameworks for national risk assessments and management; Engage all stakeholders in national risk reduction activities. Risk profile A snapshot of the risk a place or a region faces within a given timeframe, described in terms of potential losses and probability of their occurrence. Comprehensive risk profiles may also include impacts, categorization and relative priority of the risks as well as the identification of acceptable levels of risk, high-risk areas/hotspots and risk reduction measures. Risk profiles are presented at different scales (global, regional, national and local) considering the different scopes of application. Risk update A series of analytical functions to track changes in risk characteristics, trends and patterns and evaluate the effectiveness of risk reduction activities. Findings and results of these analyses are communicated through regular-reporting mechanisms. Risk Information System network (RIS-net) A public platform for the community of countries and institutions around the world that are developing Risk Information Systems (RIS) based on risk assessments. Here, they can exchange knowledge, skills, experiences, good practices, and lessons learned in establishing risk information systems. It is also a platform for the RIS community to work together on standards and protocols, quality control mechanisms, interoperability, and data visualization. Applications A repository of tools, guidelines, methodologies and examples on the applications of risk assessment results in the areas of risk reduction, strategic development planning, policy making, early warning and disaster risk reduction monitoring, among other applications. It also serves as a hands-on tutorial on applications development through practical case studies. Data sources A comprehensive gateway to major sources of disaster risk data including data on hazards, exposed elements, vulnerability relations and estimated potential losses. Through the necessary institutional arrangements, this gateway provides access to disaster risk data from multiple information systems. Searching functions let users find the information they need using appropriate searching criteria.

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What services does the Risk Informer deliver?

Built on a strong and extensive partnership among various stakeholders and supported by a dedicated Community of Practice, the Risk Informer delivers the following main services: Information services that support building country and regional risk profiles; Technical support for the collection and integration of risk information, establishment of Risk Information Systems and applications in DRR practices; Generation of new knowledge and methodologies.

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How are the services delivered?

Risk Informer will deliver its support and services through the Regional Technical Support Centres and a communities of practice for national and urban risk assessments. At the regional level, in each region, established organizations working in disaster risk reduction and risk assessment will be identified by GRIP to be part of Regional Technical Support Centres. A community of practice is a group of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

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