The Asia-Pacific region is especially vulnerable to natural disasters, and experts say the frequency of disaster events in the region is likely to increase due to growing urban populations, and unsustainable land use practices. Hazard mapping and risk and vulnerability assessments can help officials understand exposure and lead to risk-reduction measures that promote better planning and mitigation.
In 2010, more than 50 international attendees representing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies participated in a Workshop on Hazard Mapping and Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, which was co-organized by PDC and funded through USAID and APEC. Attendees were introduced to key concepts of hazard mapping and were then guided through applied activities such as creating hazard profiles, evaluating risk and potential impacts, developing risk-related messages for specific audiences, and analyzing data using GIS technology. The workshop helped increase the capacity of APEC economies to assess risk and prioritize mitigation efforts to reduce loss of life and damage to infrastructure.
ABOUT PDC
Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) is a leading scientific innovator of global risk reduction science and technology. As a University of Hawai’i applied science and research center, our work intersects with a variety of government, community, academic, and scientific organizations at home and around the world to build resilience to natural and man-made hazards—enhancing the capacity to quickly and accurately anticipate and prepare for new and emerging threats. Our innovations in multi-hazard early warning systems, predictive analytics, data science, and machine learning provide decision-makers with the powerful tools and insights they need to navigate today’s complex and interconnected risk landscape.
Dec 4, 2025 | DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
From crippling floods to powerful earthquakes and back-to-back typhoons, the Philippines hazard environment grew more complex by the month during 2025—and its Office of Civil Defense (OCD) charged with responding, leaned heavily on the system it had institutionalized just a year earlier.
May 15, 2025 | Early Warning
With typhoon season on the horizon, the Philippines leans heavily on new early warning and risk analysis capabilities to ensure whole-of-government preparedness and community awareness.
May 14, 2024 | Early Warning, Exercises and Training
After concluding a year-long engagement with Barbados in which the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC)...
May 13, 2024 | Partnerships
Recent collaboration between ASEAN and PDC includes the newly released assessment titled...
May 3, 2024 | Advanced Analytics, Early Warning, Partnerships
Geneva, Switzerland—During the week of May 6-10, 2024, participants at the U.N. Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) forum in Geneva, Switzerland will get a firsthand look at how PDC is spearheading transformative efforts within the “Early Warnings for All” initiative, including its advanced analytics
May 2, 2024 | Advanced Analytics, Partnerships
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—During the recent 2024 Planetary Health Summit and 6th Annual Meeting which took place from April 15-19 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the University of Hawai’i’s Pacific Disaster Center, and Sunway University formalized their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The first collaborative activity planned under the new MOU is a Planetary Health Assessment to create a baseline understanding of the impacts of the planetary health crisis including extreme natural hazards, biodiversity loss, and pollution on the human and earth systems at the national level.