1. Towards cross-domain interoperable framework for natural hazards and disaster risk reduction information Robert Tomas, Ph.D EC-DG Joint Research Centre, Digital Economy Unit-B06
WS on Information Infrastructure for Disaster Risk Management, Brussels, Hotel Bloom,

2. Natural disasters – no country borders
© 2014 Taranaki Regional Council
© 2014 College of Architecture, Texas A&M University.
© 2014 U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
© 2014 Die Welt 2

3. Talk objectives
To present the interoperability framework developed for natural hazards domain
To demonstrate its applicability - extensibility for other domains e.g. disaster damage & loss recording

4. Legislative framework EU
EU– INSPIRE Directive (since 2007)
Set of Implementing Rules & Technical Guidelines
Decision on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism (since 2014)
Guidance for Recording and Sharing Disaster Damage and Loss Data
International activities/frameworks
GEO/GEOSS SBA – Disaster Resilience
IUGS – CGI
Sendai, SDGs, COP21, UNISDR, OECD..

5. INSPIRE Directive (in force since 2007)
General rules to establish an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe for
Community environmental policies and
Policies or activities which impact on the environment
INSPIRE is built on the SDIs established and operated by the Member States
Spatial data held by/on behalf of public authorities
INSPIRE is a Framework Directive
Detailed technical provisions in Implementing Rules
INSPIRE fully operational in EU by 2020

6. INSPIRE thematic scope
Implementation 2012/2017
INSPIRE thematic scope
Implementation 2015/2020
Annex I
Coordinate reference systems
Geographical grid systems
Geographical names
Administrative units
Addresses
Cadastral parcels
Transport networks
Hydrography
Protected sites
Annex III
Statistical units
Buildings
Soil
Land use
Human health and safety
Utility and governmental services
Environmental monitoring facilities
Production and industrial facilities
Agricultural and aquaculture facilities
Population distribution – demography
Area management/ restriction/regulation zones & reporting units
Natural risk zones
Atmospheric conditions
Meteorological geographical features
Oceanographic geographical features
Sea regions
Bio-geographical regions
Habitats and biotopes
Species distribution
Energy Resources
Mineral resources
The natural hazard domain has always been considered as a key use case of INSPIRE
Annex II
Elevation
Land cover
Ortho-imagery
Geology

7. Key pillars of natural hazard (NH) interoperability framework
Common NH terminology framework
Based on international standards (UNISDR 2009)
Cross-domain applicability (floods, forest fires, etc.)
Based on a common data sets holdings
Clear and unambiguous to implement
Common data model for NH
Min. set of features for NH data interoperability
Domain extensibility
Covers both spatial data representations
Utilizes common types from INSPIRE GCM
Common NH assessments models
To harmonize the way of expressing level or intensity, likelihood of occurrence, vulnerability
To allow for qualitative and quantitative assessment
Contextual information required
Common NH
extensible classifications
For type of natural hazards and category of exposed elements
To facilitate comparability and interoperability of data sets
Allow also more specific NH types from local vocabularies
(Tomas R, Barredo J, Harrison M, et al. 2015)

8. Common NH terminology Definition (source) Risk Hazard Vulnerabi lity
Framework Terms
Definition (source)
Risk
Risk is the combination of the consequences of an event (hazard) and the associated likelihood/probability of its occurrence (ISO , 2009).
Hazard
A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage (UNISDR, 2009)
Vulnerabi lity
The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset, that makes it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard (UNISDR, 2009).
Exposure
People, property, systems, or other elements present in hazard zones that are thereby subject to potential losses (UNISDR, 2009).
Observed event
An observed event refers to the spatial representation of a natural phenomenon relevant to the study of natural hazards which occurred, or is currently occurring (as included in the INSPIRE DS)
Exposed element
An exposed element refers to the spatial representation of people, property, systems or other elements present in hazard zones that are thereby subject to potential losses (as included in the INSPIRE DS)
Common NH
terminology
from INSPIRE NRZ Data specification 8

9. Common NH data model
Simplified representation of the main classes of the INSPIRE DS V3.0 UML data model (Tomas R, Barredo J, Harrison M, et al. 2015) 9

10. Common data NH model Main features:
The data model provides for locations of natural hazards (as observed events, NH models or Risk zones ) > does not address the processes of defining their location.
The final content of a data model is a result of the search for a minimal common set of features (spatial object types) that standardise and formalise the best representation of spatial data properties related to the natural hazard domain.
It is intended that the data model is to be extended to address the specific requirements of a specialised hazard domain (e.g. floods, landslides, disaster losses etc.) 10

11. Common NH assessment model
Common assessment model for NH
The provision of this essential background information (e.g. methodological reference within which the assessment was carried out) is always required.
Common assessment model for the main classes of the INSPIRE DS V3.0 UML data model
(Tomas R, Barredo J, Harrison M, et al. 2015) 11

12. Extensible classifications of NH framework
Natural hazard category:
two level simple and extensible classification – required,
specific/local hazard type additional classification - optional
Exposed element category:
two level simple classification – required,
extensible by any categories
specific/local category of exposed element - optional
INSPIRE Registry 12 12

13. Real tests (EU projects) of the INSPIRE NH infrastructure
Picrit – cross border (IT/FR) for civil protection in natural hazard scenarious
eENVplus - eEnvironmental services for advanced applications within INSPIRE
Fortress - to identify and understand cascading effects of a crisis by using evidence-based information from a range of previous crisis situations.
InGeoCloudS - INspired GEOdata CLOUD Services 
Life+Imagine - the integrated management of coastal zone

14. Status of implementation in EU
EU Member States are required to provide NH data compliant to the interoperability framework by 11/2020.
That includes data being online and:
Discoverable (Metadata)
Viewable (WMS - OGC)
Downloadable (WFS, WCS, - OGC)
Harmonized with the common NH data model
Currently NH datasets (MD records) available at INSPIRE Geoportal

15. Important global “Business Case” for the INSPIRE NH framework
Applicability of the NH interoperability framework for the Disaster damage & loss recording
Important global “Business Case”
for the INSPIRE NH framework

17. Aim of the Pilot
To harmonize relevant natural hazard/risk data / service requirements stem from INSPIRE legislative and technical framework (e.g. Data specification on Natural Risk Zones) with the Guidance for Recording and Sharing Disaster Damage and Loss Data;
to achieve a synergetic goal in which the EU Member States will provide one set of spatial data services that would satisfy (be compliant with) both legal frameworks set of requirements.

18. Major pilot phases:
Phase 1 (December 2015 – April 2016) – scoping of the data harmonization and identification of the main problematic parts
Phase 2 (April – December 2016) – creation of the common data model (extended INSPIRE model)
Phase 3 (January–March 2017) – demonstration pilot transforming a few MS data sets to the common data model, and deploy and configure the remaining INSPIRE components (Metadata, Network services on selected 1-2 MS datasets).

19. Technological scope of the pilot:
Test data discovery through standardised discovery services & metadata;
Test data (re)use and interoperability by adopting common cross-domain model to exchange data.
Test online data access by allowing standardised view, download and transformation services;
from Guidance for recording disaster damage & loss data
JRC Science and Policy Report 2015

20. Methodology for common data model
Two major use cases analysed:
Recording of damage & loss data after an event
Gravity on the damage/economic/human losses recording
Provision/maintenance of past event information
Gravity on the natural hazard event register (landslides, floods, earthquakes..)

21. Common data model Damage & Loss data extension
New feature type – Affected element
New code list – Assessment Method Type – (JRC Guidance on D&L Recording, Sendai, ..)
New data types specific to the JRC Guidance on D&L Recording – Damage, Human Loss, Economic Loss
Extensions to INSPIRE code lists on types of natural hazards and categories of exposed elements
INSPIRE Core Data model

22. Expected benefits
Possible use at the EU level as well as at the national level
Facilitates country collaboration among various data providers
Aggregation of different types of NHs for better hazard/risk/damage/loss assessments
Use the power of common geo-location
Make stronger connections to other INSPIRE data themes
to enable e.g. capture of aggregated loss & damage data (per e.g. administrative units).
Saving time/effort for MS (INSPIRE x D&L recording requirements)
Online / distributed infrastructure (e.g. data stays with the owner)

23. Summary
The Interoperable Framework (IF) for Natural hazards is based on the INSPIRE data specifications work (published on 10/ )
The key interoperability pillars of the IF are:
Common NH terminology (based on standards),
Extensible data model (generic and easy to understand concepts)
Harmonised model for quantitative and qualitative assessments
Extensibility of the code lists used (natural hazard types and exposed element categories)
The implementation of INSPIRE in Europe is on its way = more interoperable natural hazard data are / will be soon available.
The results of the INSPIRE for Disaster & Loss data recording harmonization pilot = base for a follow up project regarding definition of data specification for Sendai indicators proposed by OEIWG (tbd).

24. More information INSPIRE INSPIRE Thematic Clusters INSPIRE GeoPortal
INSPIRE Thematic Clusters
INSPIRE GeoPortal
INSPIRE Registry
INSPIRE data specifications
Towards a cross-domain interoperable framework for natural hazards and disaster risk reduction information
(Tomas R, Barredo J, Harrison M, et al. 2015; DOI: DOI: /s

25. Thank you for your attention. robert.tomas@jrc.ec.europa.eu
Interoperability is better achieved
…sharing solutions in a collaborative way