Identifying risk management options

The goal of Step 5 is to come up with risk management options for direct and indirect risks selected to be managed in Step 4. In the context of multi-hazard risk management, a special emphasis in this step needs to be given to the consideration of synergies and asynergies in risk management measures for different hazards. In other words, measures considered can benefit risk reduction of different hazards, and also lead to situations where the introduction of a measure for one hazard increases risk in the context of a different hazard.

Guidance protocol questions

The following are questions that can help decision-makers, stakeholders, and relevant parties in successfully walking through step 5 of the framework. Consider this set of questions as an initial guide for your investigation, recognizing that it is not an exhaustive list.

Selection of risk management options

  • What risk management options are available/needed for reducing the risks determined through the process of risk analysis and evaluation?
  • What structural (e.g., physical infrastructure) and non-structural (e.g., land use policies, early warning systems) measures do you need to reduce your risks?
  • Are the proposed risk management options risk-informed, precautionary or discursive? What are the uncertainties involved?

Implementation of risk management options

  • What is the implementation process for risk management measures, including timelines, responsibilities, and costs?
  • What time horizons do your risk management options align with? Are they tailored for short-term, medium-term, or longer-term durations?
  • Did you include all stakeholders of interest in your system that would benefit from/be disadvantaged by risk management in the selection of these risk management options?

Critical reflection on risk management measures

  • To what level do these measures reduce risks? Are there any residual risks left?
  • In case you are considering a multi-hazard situation, what are synergies and asynergies between different risk management options? In the case of asynergies, are there any plans in place to manage these?

Also think about how risk management options might influence other sectors and systems:

  • What is the level at which your risk management options are operating? Are the benefits derived only at the level of your system (e.g., in your sector, your administrative/geographical area) or are they wider and cascade across systems?

As in the previous steps of the framework, we are referring to the fictitious multi-hazard event in the Danube Region to exemplify the process of navigating through this stage of the framework. This serves as a practical illustration of how to approach this step and how to address the guidance protocol questions mentioned earlier, using our hypothetical scenario as a guide.

CONCEPTUAL EXAMPLE

There was a drought in the Danube Region (e.g. the 2015 or 2022 drought) that left severe consequences across sectors. After several months, the region is hit by a severe flood (e.g. the 2006 flood) causing severe loss and damage.

Examples of risk management options

Methods and tools
relevant to step 5

Multi-Risk Pathways

Multi-risk pathways are a means to support disaster risk reduction planners in designing dynamic, adaptive plans that connect immediate disaster risk reduction needs across multiple hazards and sectors in the short-term with more uncertain longer-term challenges.

Risk-Informed Decision-Making

Development of methods to support decision-makers and stakeholders navigate the challenges of uncertain, integrated, and risk-informed DRM. These methods help explore, prioritise and balance complex synergies and tradeoffs across sectors and hazards when managing both short- and long-term risks.

Multi-Risk Dynamics

Developing innovative methods and an online database to understand how various risk factors interrelate and interact enhancing risk modelling for improved disaster preparedness and response.

Implementation in pilot regions

Veneto

The Veneto Region Pilot focuses on multi-hazard and multi-risk assessment for both baseline and future climate change scenarios, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. These applications support the development of disaster risk management pathways that enhance resilience across diverse socio-economic and environmental systems.

North sea

The North Sea pilot develops a multi-hazard and multi-sector pathway to manage risks and promote sustainable development, focusing on energy, shipping and transport, and nature across the Greater North Sea Region.

Danube

The Danube Pilot seeks to understand how different natural hazards affect each other in the Danube Region, helping to improve disaster risk management plans for the area.

Canary Islands

The Canary Islands pilot aims at enhancing the understanding of multi-hazard risks in tourism island destinations by focusing on the interconnected impacts of hazards across key sectors, including tourism, water, energy, and agri-food.