Inventorying hazards & disasters worldwide since 1988
EM-DAT contains data on the occurrence and impacts of over 26,000 mass disasters worldwide from 1900 to the present day. The database is compiled from various sources, including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, reinsurance companies, research institutes, and press agencies. The
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)
distributes the data in
open access
for non-commercial use.
Access the data
Documentation
EM-DAT Overview
More than 26,000 disaster records
EM-DAT defines disasters as situations or events which overwhelm local capacity, necessitating a request for external assistance at the national or international level. Disasters are unforeseen and often sudden events that cause significant damage, destruction, and human suffering.
The main objective of the database is to serve the purposes of
humanitarian action at national and international levels
. The initiative aims to rationalize decision-making for
disaster preparedness
and
disaster risk reduction strategies
, as well as provide an objective base for
vulnerability assessment and priority setting
.
Inclusion criteria
EM-DAT focuses on major disasters
EM-DAT globally records at the country level
human and economic losses
for disasters with at least
one of the following criteria:
10 fatalities;
100 affected people;
a declaration of state of emergency;
a call for international assistance.
Disaster Classification
EM-DAT adopts a hierarchical classification
The database classifies disasters into two groups of hazards:
natural
and
technological
. The
natural group is further classified up to four additional levels following the
2014 IRDR Peril
Classification and Hazard Glossary
. The technological group is less detailed and comprises three main
types: transport, industrial, and miscellaneous accidents.
A long-term expertise
The Emergency event database EM-DAT was created in 1988 as a joint initiative between the
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)
and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The CRED is now part of the Institute of Health and Society attached to the University of Louvain (UCLouvain). The EM-DAT database and project are primarily sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
