Home/Climate Tech Foundations/Climate Risk Assessment/Hazard Analysis

Identifying Climate Hazards

Mapping the climate threats specific to your context

Your Progress

Section 2 of 5
1
2
3
4
5

Step 1: Know Your Climate Threats

Hazard ≠ Risk

A hazard is a potential threat. It only becomes a risk when combined with exposure and vulnerability. A Category 5 hurricane in the open ocean is a hazard but low risk. The same hurricane hitting a densely populated coast is high risk.

🌊Coastal Zone Climate Hazards

Sea-Level Rise
Severity: 9/10
Frequency:Chronic
Trend:Accelerating
Storm Surge
Severity: 8/10
Frequency:Increasing
Trend:More intense
Coastal Erosion
Severity: 7/10
Frequency:Chronic
Trend:Accelerating
Saltwater Intrusion
Severity: 6/10
Frequency:Chronic
Trend:Expanding
Hurricanes/Cyclones
Severity: 9/10
Frequency:Seasonal
Trend:More intense

Pro tip: Hazard identification should combine climate projections, historical data, and local knowledge. Don't just look at averages—extreme events often drive the most severe impacts.

Hazard Identification Framework

1Review Climate Projections

  • Global models (GCMs): IPCC reports, CMIP6 ensemble projections
  • Regional models (RCMs): Downscaled projections for your region
  • Key variables: Temperature, precipitation, sea level, wind, extreme events
  • Multiple scenarios: RCP/SSP pathways (e.g., SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP5-8.5)

2Analyze Historical Patterns

  • Trend analysis: Are extreme events becoming more frequent/intense?
  • Analog years: Historical events that may represent future "normal"
  • Return periods: How often do threshold events occur (1-in-100 year flood)?
  • Impact records: What climate events caused damage in the past?

3Engage Local Expertise

  • Community knowledge: Long-term residents observe changes climate models miss
  • Sectoral experts: Farmers, water managers, public health officials know system-specific risks
  • Indigenous knowledge: Traditional knowledge captures long-term environmental changes
  • Participatory mapping: Co-create hazard maps with affected communities

⚡Critical: Consider Compound and Cascading Hazards

Real-world climate risks rarely come solo. Drought + heat wave = crop failure. Hurricane + power outage = health crisis. Wildfire + heavy rain = landslide. Your hazard analysis must consider how threats interact and trigger cascades.