The intangible effects of Natural Hazards

The “intangible” effects are defined as the costs of natural hazards which are not, or at least not easily measurable in monetary terms. In this context, this background paper reviews and analyzes the cost-assessment of the human health and the environmental effects of the natural hazards. It aims at compiling and analyzing the methods for the assessment of the intangible effects and at providing recommendations for their most effective application. The compilation and the analysis of the cost-assessment methods is based on a state-of-the-art literature review and will consist the basis for the hazard background papers and the hazard workshops to be carried out in ConHaz. Summarizing the content of this background paper, it presents the physical context of health and environmental impacts caused by the four different natural hazard types analyzed under the ConHaz project. Also it presents and compiles the cost-assessment methods of the intangible effects by providing in detail their application context. Furthermore, the data availability and use process is evaluated. Eventually, this background paper analyzes in a qualitative way the application of the cost-assessment methods and provides preliminary recommendations.

This report is part of the EU project ConHaz. The first objective of ConHaz is to compile state-of-the-art methods and terminology as used in European case studies. This compilation will consider droughts, floods, storms, and alpine hazards, as well as various impacted sectors, such as agriculture, health and nature. It will consider direct, indirect and intangible costs. ConHaz further examines the costs and benefits of risk-prevention and emergency response policies. The second objective of ConHaz is to evaluate the compiled methods by considering theoretical assumptions underlying cost assessment methods and issues appearing in application of the methods, such as availability and quality of data. ConHaz will also assess the reliability of the end results by considering the accuracy of cost predictions and best-practice methods of validation, and will identify relevant gaps in assessment methods. The third objective of ConHaz is to compare available assessment methods with end-user needs and practices, so as to better identify best practice and knowledge gaps in relation to policy-making. A final objective of ConHaz is to give recommendations about best practices and to identify resulting research needs.