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 Global) is a leading scientific innovator in disaster risk reduction science and technology. As a University of Hawai’i applied science and research center, our work intersects with government, community, academic, and scientific organizations at home and around the world to build resilience to natural and man-made hazards. We enable communities to confront disasters more effectively by enhancing the capacity to rapidly anticipate and prepare for new and emerging threats using our AI-powered multi-hazard early warning technology, DisasterAWARE, predictive analytics, data science, and machine learning. For more than 30 years, PDC innovations have equipped decision-makers with the powerful tools and insights they need to navigate today’s complex and interconnected risk landscape.
PDC received prestigious recognition from the United Nations for its international impact in 2022, being granted the once-in-a-lifetime U.N. Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Jul 20, 2026 | DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), in partnership with the U.S. Pacific Command (US PACOM), and twenty-nine other nations, international organizations, and interagency partners, supported the humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) component of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026…
Jul 20, 2026 | Disaster Response, DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
As Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) braced for impacts from a second super typhoon in less than three months, the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) joined regional preparedness coordination and relief efforts…
Jul 9, 2026 | Disaster Response, DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
Joining one of the largest-scale relief efforts in history, PDC embedded analysts and its DisasterAWARE technology ecosystem into mission operations to help save lives during response to the event…
Jun 19, 2026 | Disaster Response, DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
The June 8 Mindanao earthquake demonstrated how years of investment in PhilAWARE, training, and operational integration of critical life-saving data enabled immediate situational awareness and coordinated decision-making across the Philippines national disaster response system…
Jun 12, 2026 | DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
With more than 6.5 million fans from over 100 countries converging on cities across the United States, Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the public health stakes are significant. The team is leveraging DisasterAWARE for timely, integrated situational awareness…
May 12, 2026 | DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
NOAA forecasters are sounding the alarm: super El Niño is coming and it could mean record impacts during hurricane season—especially across the Eastern and Central Pacific basins…