Risk depends on more than the hazard itself. A flood in an empty field is not a disaster; the same flood in a crowded low-lying colony is. A vulnerability profile shows who and what could be harmed, and why.
Four terms to know
Hazard
A dangerous event or condition, such as an earthquake, flood, fire or chemical leak.
Exposure
The people, buildings and assets located where the hazard can reach them.
Vulnerability
How easily they can be harmed: weak buildings, poor warning, limited mobility, low income.
Capacity
The strengths that reduce harm: trained people, plans, alarms, exits and equipment.
Risk grows with hazard, exposure and vulnerability, and shrinks as capacity grows. That is why training and preparation directly lower risk.
India's hazard profile
Read more on our hazard pages: Earthquake, Floods, Cyclones, Heat Wave, Landslide.
Who is more vulnerable
- Children, older people and persons with disabilities
- Pregnant women and people with chronic illness
- Families in weak, overcrowded or unauthorised housing
- People without access to warnings, phones or transport
What a building or campus assessment covers
- List the hazards that can affect the site: fire, earthquake, flooding, electrical, crowd and chemical risks
- Inspect the structure, exits, stairs, wiring, gas lines and heavy fittings that can fall
- Review the people: numbers, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, shift timings
- Check capacity: alarms, extinguishers, first-aid kits, trained staff, emergency plan
- Write a prioritised action plan: what to fix now, soon and later
ODM offers this as a DM Audit.
Sources: NDMA presentation on India's vulnerability to disasters (2023); PIB; standard disaster risk reduction concepts