Crucial basis for preparedness planning in disaster management

Organisations responsible for the management of disasters and emergencies face a broad and diverse range of loss events. The National Risk Analysis classifies these events into three categories: nature, technology and society. The response to these events must therefore be organised and planned in advance. In order to get a systematic overview of the hazard potential of possible disasters and emergencies, organizations in charge of disaster management perform analyses of hazards or risks, respectively. This involves identifying the spectrum of possible hazards, developing specific scenarios, analysing their impacts in a sophisticated manner, and assessing the likelihood of occurrence for the scenarios described. With the National Risk Analysis of «Disasters and Emergencies Switzerland» (DES), the FOCP develops a crucial basis for preparedness planning in disaster management at all levels of government in Switzerland.

Different products

As part of the National Risk Analysis the following products have been developed. They are periodically updated:

• Brochure 'What risks does Switzerland face?'
  Geared at a wider public, the brochure provides an overview of the National Risk Analysis and its products. It sets out the focal points of the analysis and demonstrates the practical applications for the insights it generates.

• Risk Report
  The Risk Report 2020 documents the results of the analyses carried out by 2020. It features risk diagrams for all disasters and emergencies covered by the analyses. These make it possible to compare the scenarios' inherent risks. As well as updating the 33 scenarios set out in the 2015 report, the 2020 edition adds 11 new scenarios to the list.

• Methodology report
  The methodology report documents the methodological approach and metrics used in the National Risk Analysis.

• Hazard Catalogue
  The Hazard Catalogue lists all potential hazards for Switzerland and provides an overview of conceivable events and developments. However, it does not rank them according to their respective level of risk.
  Further information

• Hazard Files
  Information is systematically collected on all hazards relevant to Switzerland and scenarios are developed for each. This information is compiled in a Hazard File, which provides the basis for the National Risk Analysis «Disasters and Emergencies Switzerland» (DES)and for consecutive planning efforts.
  Further information

• 'Risks in context' brochure
  The brochure, available in German and French, contains a selection of further evaluations and graphics of DES products to date. It outlines additional application possibilities and thus offers added value for an interested audience, decisionmakers and experts involved in incident prevention and management.