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Literature Review

The National Risk Index development team conducted a broad and thorough literature review to determine strategies and approaches for data collection and visualization in the fields of disaster mitigation and recovery. Centering around a search for natural hazards and exposure variables, the literature review identified datasets, risk indices, research reports, methodologies, indicator lists, and risk assessments.

During their review, the team identified several important risk indicator categories and specific indicators to consider:

  • Risk Indicator Categories
    • Social
    • Economic
    • Environmental
    • Infrastructure
  • Individual Risk Indicators
    • Income
    • Age
    • Illnesses
    • Hospitals
    • Road systems
    • Economic Productivity
    • Housing
    • Community Revenue

The team also discussed ideas for reworking existing systems into a new representation of the data. Eventually, the team concluded the new system of viewing risk would involve three components: natural hazard risk (likelihoods and consequences), social vulnerability, and community resilience.

For comprehensive details about the literature review, see the National Risk Index Technical Documentation.