EM-DAT Sources of Information
Where Do the EM-DAT Figures Come From?
The EM-DAT database is compiled from various sources, including United Nations, governmental and non-governmental agencies, insurance companies, research institutes, and the press. As of September 2023, the most common sources are included in the table below. For futher inquiries on the data collection and selection process, see EM-DAT Protocols.
| Source name | Category | Type of disasters covered |
|---|---|---|
| Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) / ReliefWeb | United Nations | Natural hazards |
| World Food Programme (WFP)1 | United Nations | Drought/Famine |
| World Meteorological Organization (WMO) | United Nations | Natural hazards |
| World Health Organization (WHO) | United Nations | Epidemics |
| Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)1 | United Nations | Drought/Famine |
| United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) | United Nations | Natural hazards |
| National Governments (Reports) | National Gov. | Natural and technological hazards |
| Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) | United States | Natural hazards (America) |
| National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | United States | Natural hazards |
| Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) | United States | Natural and technological hazards |
| US Geological Survey (USGS) | United States | Earthquakes |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | United States | Epidemics |
| National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI, formerly the National Geophysical Data Center - NGDC)1 | United States | Natural hazards |
| European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) | European Union | Natural hazards |
| Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) | Research center | Floods, landslides and storms |
| International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) | Humanitarian aid organization | Natural and technological hazards |
| World Bank (Reports) | Inter-Governmental Organizations | Major natural hazards and disasters |
| SwissRe | ReInsurance Companies | Natural and technological hazards |
| MünichRe | Reinsurance Companies | Natural hazards |
| AON Benfield | Reinsurance Companies | Natural hazards |
| Lloyd’s casualty magazine (paid subscription)1 | Reinsurance Companies | Natural hazards |
| Agence France Press (paid subscription) | Press/Other | Natural and technological hazards |
| Reuters1 | Press/Other | Natural and technological hazards |
| The new humanitarian (former IRIN News)1 | Press/Other | Natural and technological hazards (mostly Africa) |
| FloodList | Press/Other | Floods |
| Wikipedia | Press/Other | Natural and technological hazards |
| Plane Crash Info | Press/Other | Transport accidents (Air) |