Classification Glossary
Definitions of Disaster Types
EM-DAT’s definitions related to the group of natural hazards mainly refer to the IRDR Peril Classification and Hazard Glossary1 (see A Brief History of the EM-DAT Classification System). These are reported in the following sections by disaster subgroups.
EM-DAT definitions related to the technological group are listed separately in the Technological Hazards section. These are legacy definitions from the EM-DAT project and do not refer to a particular glossary serving as an international standard.
About Definitions
Some definitions have undergone minor modifications or derivations, which are noted at the end of each section. Some terms, which are not explicitly defined in the referenced glossaries, have been left undefined. As mentioned in the Disaster Classification System, the Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs) serve as a comprehensive glossary for those interested in the definitions of different hazard types that are beyond the EM-DAT scope.-
Integrated Research on Disaster Risk. (2014). Peril classification and hazard glossary (IRDR DATA Publication No. 1). Integrated Research on Disaster Risk. ↩︎