Risk identification database. Supporting document for RIDB definition of contents and data structure

Abstract

Potential effects of climate dynamics on the urban water cycle can involve the aggravation of existing conditions as well as occurrence of new hazards or risk factors. The risks associated with expected climate changes have to be dealt with by the society in general and by the water utilities and other stakeholders in particular. The challenges created by climate dynamics require an integrated approach for dealing with existing and expected levels of risk. In PREPARED Task 2.1.1 a WCSP framework was proposed for such an integrated approach. The application of the WCSP framework requires a number of tools to facilitate the tasks of working groups involved. One of these tasks is risk identification. This document presents the adopted structure and contents for a risk identification database (RIDB), providing background information on the data needed for event characterization (event description, hazard, risk sources, contributing causes, existing measures to reduce risk, risk factors, typical consequence dimensions) and on data for estimating the effect of climate changes in event risk. This RIDB is intended to facilitate the task of risk identification in the WCSP. Additionally, a register of historical accidents is proposed. The subsequent PREPARED tasks allow testing and improving of this initial proposal of the RIDB as well as feeding the databases with data from the selected case studies of the project.