1. Improved Risk Information to support
sound policy/decision making processes –
The UNDP/GRIP experience
Regina Below
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters – CRED
Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
www.emdat.be

2. WHAT IS EM-DAT?
• Emergency Events Database, created 1988
• Project funded by OFDA/USAID, USA
• Occurrence and impacts of over 19,000 natural
(62%) and technological disasters (38%) from
1900 to present
• Objective: Provide evidence-base to
humanitarian and development actors at
national and international levels

3. EMDAT CREDibility
• Over 20 years experience in data collection and
management
• Consistent methodology
• Rules and definition
• Validation methods and tools
• Transparency and automatization (date entry
and ouputs)
• Comparability over time and space

4. STRENGHTS OF EM-DAT?
• Unique free accessible database
• Acts as a reference point for global analysis of
disaster occurrence and impact
• Unique basis for policy paper on disaster
reduction and risks
• International recognition and CREDibility
• Capacity to provide methods and guidelines

5. WEAKNESSES OF EM-DAT?
• Global database
• Limited potential for analysis in terms of
disaster occurrence and impact on smaller,
intra-country spatial scales
• Inappropriate use of data due to the public
aspects of EM-DAT

6. What is the challenge?
Overcome the limitations
induced by lack of clear standardized
collection methodologies and definitions
Inconsistencies, data gaps, poor inter-operability, etc. …
Confusion in evaluating disaster situation and
obstacles for disaster prevention and preparedness

7. Methodological Issues
What has improved?
- Information systems in the last 30 years
- Availability of statistical data
Better Quality of Data
What is still lacking?
-No systematic and standardized data collection for historical
data
-Standards and definitions

8. EVIDENCES:
• Disaster Data (human and economic impact) is critical
for preparedness and prevention planning
• Quality of Disaster Databases can only be as good as
the reporting systems which feed them

9. CRITERIA OF SUCCESS:
• Clear and limited scope of disaster data :
indicators, variables and entry criteria
• Ownership and responsability : ensure systematic
update and maintenance
• Scientifically sound methodologies and definitions

10. CRED PARTNERSHIPS WITH GRIP/UNDP
1. Regional Worshops on Building Risk Knowledge
2. Common accord CRED/MünichRe - Disaster classification and
terminology
3. Creation and maintenance of a disaster data portal
4. Strengthening the quality, reliability and sustainability of national
and regional disaster database
5. Review of human and economic impact indicator definitions

11. 1. Regional Worshops on Building Risk Knowledge
(2006-07)
• Analytical review of selected data set on natural disasters and
impacts: Identify strenghts and weaknesses of disaster loss
databases
• Disaster Database expertise
• Training

12. Common accord CRED/MünichRe - Disaster
classification and terminology (2008-09)
Identification of problems:
- Disaster definition, typology and classification
- Differences and lack of standardization of the terminology
Outputs: Development of a standardized international
classification of disasters and terminology
Conclusion/Recommendation:
- Serve the international community, users and developers of
databases to have a better understanding of disaster data
- Underligne the importance to develop the capacity of information exchange,
integration and comparability between disaster databases

13. Creation and maintenance of a disaster data portal
(2007-09)
- Compile and update the list of international, national and sub-national disaster loss
data collection initiatives
- Classify and provide a short summary for these disaster loss data initiatives
- Provide online access to the disaster data compilation initiatives
- Provide centralized referral services to
researchers and other persons or organizations
interested in the compilation or analysis of disaster data
- www.grip.org.web

14. Strengthening the quality, reliability and
sustainability of national and regional disaster
database (2009-10)
Objectives:
- Identify disaster databases in South and Southeast Asia
- Develop a quality assessment matrix and disaster data
audit methodology
- Perform database audits for selected disaster databases
(Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia and
Sri Lanka)
- Provide technical assistance to strengthen disaster databases
- Prepare guidelines for the development of disaster databases

15. Review of human and economic impact indicator
definitions (2011-13)
Goals:
- Establish a common standard hazard terminology, definition and classification
+ a common standard for human and economic loss characterization
- Develop complete guidelines to ensure the inter-operability, compatibility and
quality control of disaster loss databases (for use in global and national
databases).
- Field tests and implementation of the guidelines developed in selected
countries. Will ensure the interoperability, compatibility and quality control of
disaster loss databases. As a result, the selected national disaster databases
will be horizontally compatible among themselves and vertically compatible
with global databases (i.e. EM-DAT, MünichRe, NatCatSERVICE). Being
compatible, those databases will be able to be integrated and will be able to
reproduce the information contained in global disaster databases.

16. EXPECTATIONS
- CRED expertise and experience is reinforced through
partnerships
- Outputs can be promoted and disseminated through
GRIP
- CRED: Limitations to influence the national policy
- UNDP has the mandate to lead DRM at country level

17. Thank you …
Regina Below (CRED)
E-mail: regina.below@uclouvain.be
www.emdat.be