Assessing Risk
How do we protect our assets?
Our assets can be vulnerable to a range of pressures, whether natural events or processes or human activities, that can lead to adverse impacts. Each will operate across a different time frame (e.g., hours to decades) and can lead to partial or full loss of the asset. The likelihood of these pressures occurring and of the associated impact can be informed by their past occurrance, which can be discerned from Earth observtion data, or through predictive models. The following lists common risks to assests, with this based on the impacts and pressures listed in the Global Change Taxonomy.
Fires can lead to loss of vegetation or buildings, particularly if severe and/or frequent.
Exterme and/or prolonged flooding can lead to changes in vegetation composition and land use.
Areas suffering from short to long-term rainfall deficiency can lead to dieback and loss of vegetation.
Strong winds, particularly if sustained over long periods, can lead to damage to vegetation and infrastructure.