- 1Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- 3Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
- 4Nottingham Geospatial Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- 5British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK
- 6Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- 7Department of Civil Engineering, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India
Natural hazard-related disasters result in tens of thousands of deaths and billions in economic losses annually, with their frequency and intensity projected to increase due to climate change. These hazards, such as floods, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, often interact in ways that amplify their impacts, creating cascading or compounding risks. Despite these complexities, most hazard databases focus on single-hazard events, failing to capture critical interactions. To address this gap, we are developing a relational disaster database designed to systematically document and analyse multihazard interactions.
The database is designed to capture both individual hazard events and their interrelations, including causal, temporal, spatial, and amplifying interactions. It consists of two modules: a hazard characteristics and impacts module, which records essential details such as location, magnitude, and consequences, and a hazard linkages module, which documents relationships between hazards with attributes such as time lags, interaction intensity, and confidence levels. This scalable design is interoperable with existing databases like DesInventar and EM-DAT, enabling integration of existing data and automated processing and data analysis. We aim for flexibility, open access, and good metadata to ensure utility for both academic and operational (e.g,. disaster risk managers) end-users.
Complementing the database, we are developing tools for the automated generation of process-linked and coinciding multihazard groups, cumulative impact analysis, and the creation of associated visualizations. Initial database entries include case studies such as the 2023 Lhonak glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), involving rainfall, landslides, and dam failure, and Hurricane Helene, highlighting meteorological, marine, and geological interactions. The database is currently at a prototype stage, and we welcome community input and collaboration to refine its design, expand its coverage, and ensure its long-term relevance and usability.
Figure: Concept diagram for the structure of the relational multihazard database.
How to cite: Van Wyk de Vries, M., Nava, L., Chen, Y., Augustina, L., Bell, L., Nicholas, J., Clarke, B., Ungar, R., Hill, A., Sharma, K., Morin, J., and Hussain, E.: A relational disaster database to document and resolve multihazard interactions, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12887, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12887, 2025.
