Tutorials (Nocera Demo Dataset)

This section provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the RiskChanges platform. Each section has a detailed video tutorial for better understanding.

About the Demo Dataset

For this tutorial, we’ll be using a demo dataset modeled after the city of Nocera Inferiore, Italy. Please note that the data does not represent real-world conditions and is purely for demonstration purposes within the RiskChanges environment.

Here’s an overview of what’s included in the dataset:

👉 Please refer here to access the dataset for this tutorial.

👉 Check this document for Input Data tutorial and this document for Exposure and Loss Calculation tutorial.

👉 For more details about the dataset structure and use of Alternatives and Scenarios, refer to the dataset document.

Step-by-step Walkthrough

Let’s now go through the core tasks you’ll typically perform on the RiskChanges platform.

1. Register an Account and Setup the Profile

Start by visiting the official RiskChanges website: http://riskchanges.org/. Follow this guide to create your account and set up your profile.

2. Create a Project

To begin working, click the New Project button on the Project Dashboard. This opens a form divided into four sections: , , , and .

Only the General section is required. Let’s fill the required fields with our demo dataset information:

• Project Name: Risk City

• Study Area: Nocera

• Description: This is a demonstration dataset based on Nocera Inferiore, Italy.

Filling General section

If you want to work collaboratively, go to the Staff tab and invite your team members. You can skip the Alternatives and Scenarios for now or set them later.

Your project will now appear on the dashboard as a card. Use filters to quickly search or sort through multiple projects.

3. Upload and Visualize Data

As mentioned in the user guide, there are several data inputs required for RiskChanges.These include Administrative Boundaries, Hazard Data, Elements-at-Risk (EaR) Data, and Vulnerability Data. You can upload data in various formats including shapefiles, GeoTIFFs, CSVs, and OGC services, depending on each data input.

From your Project Dashboard, click into the project you want to work on. You will see the modules menu on the left side bar.

Administrative Boundary

Choose the Admin Level option and click Add Admin Level. Under the General tab:

• Upload a zipped shapefile.

• Enter a Name: Admin_Unit

• Save.

RiskChanges automatically displays the boundary on the map with default symbology. However, you can customize the visualization by going to the Style tab.

• Label Field: [ADMIN UNIT]

• Color Map: antiquewhite

• Label: Administrative Unit

Uploading Administrative Boundary data

Hazard Data

Head over to Hazard > Add Hazard. Upload hazard data in GeoTIFF or zipped shapefile format. Future support will include OGC Service and Global Dataset.

Fill in required fields:

• Layer Name, Hazard Type, Sub Type, Intensity Type, Intensity Unit

• Return Period, Representation Year, optional Alternative and Scenario

• Click Save to apply.

Hazard Name	Layer Name	Hazard Type	Sub Type	Intensity Type	Intensity Unit	Representation Year
Debris Flow	DF_20	Mass Movements	Debris Flows	Impact Pressure	kPa	2020
Flood	FL_20	Flood	Fluvial Flood	Height	meters	2020
Landslide	LS_20_Class	Mass Movements	Landslides	Susceptibility	classes	2020
Landslide Index	LS_20_Prob	Mass Movements	Landslides	Susceptibility	probability	2020

Note

Return periods should be adjusted according to the layers uploaded.

For visualization, RiskChanges supports different visual styles. You can adjust it according to your needs. Use the Style section to adjust the visualization. After adjusting, click Save to apply the changes.

Hazard Name	Style Mode	Field	Min Value	Max Value	Classification Method	Color Map
Debris Flow	User Defined Classes	[VALUE]	0.1	12.5	Quantile	YlOrBr
Flood	User Defined Classes	[VALUE]	0.1	5.3	Quantile	Blues
Landslide (Susceptibility Classes)	Automated Classes	[VALUE]	0.1	5.3	Quantile	autumn_r
Landslide Index (Susceptibility Probability)	User Defined Classes	[VALUE]	0.1	5.3	Quantile	Wistia

Hazard Visualization

Element-at-Risk (EaR) Data

Go to EaR > Add EaR to upload buildings, roads, or land parcels. You can use either GeoTIFF or shapefiles. Then, define the following fields:

• Layer Name

• EaR Type / Subtype

• Year, optional: Alternative, Scenario

Similarly, use the Style section to adjust the visualization. After adjusting, click Save to apply the changes.

• Choose between Single Class, Automated Classes, User Defined Classes.

• Define:

  • Field, Area, Value, Population, Units

  • Color Map

EaR Name	Style Mode	Field	Area Field	Area Unit	Value Field	Value Unit	People Field	People Unit	** Color Map**
Building Point	Automated Classes	[TYPE]	[AREA]	sq.m	[VALUE]	USD	[PEOPLE]	(number)	brg_r
Building Footprints	Automated Classes	[USE]	[AREA_N]	sq.m	[VALUE]	USD	[PEOPLE]	(number)	brg_r
Roads	User Defined Classes	[CALCULATED_AREA_LENGTH]	–	–	–	–	–		autumn_r
Land Parcel	Automated Classes	[TYPE]	[AREA_N]	sq.m	[VALUE]	USD	[PEOPLE]	(number)	brg

Element-at-Risk Visualization

4. Vulnerability Table

In the Vulnerability tab, you can add a vulnerability curve either by uploading a CSV or filling in data manually. Each record should include: Hazard Intensity From, Hazard Intensity To, Vulnerability Value

Before uploading, you will be asked to provide metadata like:

• Vulnerability Region and Type

• Hazard Type/Subtype

• Intensity Mode and Unit

• EaR Type, Subtype, and Class

• Source, Description

• Public/Private visibility: If marked Public, others can use the record. Otherwise, it will stay under My Vulnerability.

Vulnerability Table Input

Vulnerability Curve

The related vulnerability tables have been imported and available to the public. Users can use the tables for this exercise.

Vulnerability IDs for Building Materials

ID	Debris Flow (Physical)	Flood (Physical)	Landslide (Physical)	Debris Flow (Population)	Flood (Population)	Landslide (Population)
Masonry 1 floor	86	78	94	162	170	182
Masonry 2 floor	87	79	95	163	171	183
Masonry 3 floor	88	80	96	164	172	184
Reinforced Concrete 1 floor	89	81	97	165	173	185
Reinforced Concrete 2 floor	90	82	98	166	174	186
Reinforced Concrete 3 floor	91	83	99	167	175	187
Reinforced Concrete 4 floor	92	84	100	168	176	188
Wooden	93	86	101	169	177	189

Vulnerability IDs for Land Parcel Types

ID	Debris Flow (Physical)	Flood (Physical)	Landslide (Physical)	Debris Flow (Population)	Flood (Population)	Landslide (Population)
Agricultural Fields	All 1	132	135	190	212	234
Animal Farm	102	133	136	191	213	235
Bare	All 0	All 0	137	192	214	236
Commercial	103	134	138	193	215	237
Cultural Heritage	104	118	143	194	216	238
Farm	105	119	144	195	217	239
Forest Natural	106	120	145	196	218	240
Forest Planted Protective	107	121	146	197	219	241
Grassland	All 1	122	147	198	220	242
Highway	108	123	148	199	221	243
Industry	109	124	149	200	222	244
Open Space	All 0	All 0	All 0	201	223	245
Orchard	110	125	150	202	224	246
Parking Lot	111	126	151	203	225	247
Parkland	112	127	152	204	226	248
Quarry	113		153	205	227	249
Residential	114	128	154	206	228	250
Shrubs	All 1	129	155	207	229	251
Toll Area	115		178	208	230	252
Tourist Resort	116	130	179	209	231	253
Vineyard	All 1	131	180	210	232	254
Water Tank	117		181	211	233	255

Note

Vulnerability data is not required for Exposure analysis but is essential for Loss and Risk calculations.

5. Running an Exposure Analysis

Go to Exposure > Add Exposure. Choose between:

• Individual (feature-based): Exposure is calculated for each elements-at-risk feature.

• Aggregated (admin unit-based): Exposure is calculated based on admnistrative boundaries.

In the General section, enter:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building

• Select the Hazard and EaR layers

• Choose Intensity: Minimum, Average, or Maximum. These options will affect the layer visualization after the calculation. All intensities will still be calculated and users can change the visualization options afterwards.

(This setting is used for calculating 20-years return period flood to building footprints - Individual Exposure)

Individual Exposure Calculation

For Aggregated Exposure, we need to input several information which are based on the calculated individual exposure. Therefore, we must calculate an associatd Individual Exposure beforehand:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building_Agg

• Hazard: Flood20_Building

• Admin Level: Admin_Unit

• Intensity: Average Intensity

Aggregated Exposure Calculation

Once calculated, two tables are obtained from the calculation, which are Summary Table and Detail Table. The Summary Table summarizes the number of exposed Elements-at-Risk by each defined for every hazard class. The Detail Table provides the exposure information for each Element-at-Risk feature.

Both tables will show metrics like:

• Exposed fraction

• Exposed area / length: Depends on the type of elements-at-risk (polygon / line)

• Exposed Population, Value, number of floors: Depends on the information availability in the elements-at-risk attribute data.

• Minimum, average, maximum intensity: Only shown in Detal Table.

Exposure Table Result (Summary Table)

Exposure Table Result (Detail Table)

For the Aggregated Exposure result, a summary table will be generated after the calculation, showing the total Exposure in metrics depending on available Elements-at-Risk attributes for each administrative boundary. For this exercise, we obtain Exposure in terms of Area, Value (USD) and Population (number of people).

Aggregated Exposure Table Result

You can show the Summary Table into a chart and export the table as XLSX.

Exposure Summary Chart

Aggregated Exposure Chart

You can configure how the results are visualized on the map. You can also click individual features to see their attributes.

Exposure Visualization

Note

Visualization directly affects how the calculations for Exposure, Loss, and Risk are performed. If you want to try different classes or value ranges for your analysis, you’ll need to re-run the Exposure module before running Loss or Risk again.

6. Running a Loss Analysis

Go to Loss > Add Loss. Choose between:

• Individual (feature-based): Loss is calculated for each elements-at-risk feature.

• Aggregated (admin unit-based): Loss is calculated based on admnistrative boundaries.

In the General section, enter:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building_Loss

• Select the Exposure layers: Flood20_Building.

(This setting is used for calculating building loss to 20-year return period flood, after calculating the individual exposure - Individual Loss)

For Aggregated Loss, the information needed is based on the calculated individual loss. Therefore, we must calculate an associated Individual Loss beforehand:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building_Loss_Agg

• Loss: Flood20_Building_Loss

• Admin Level: Admin_Unit

• Intensity: Average Intensity

Loss Calculation

A series of columns for hazard, loss, and vulnerability is presented to link the elements-at-risk classes to the vulnerability tables. Users need to choose the associated vulnerability table to each class. Users can choose the vulnerability from the All Vulnerability section. After selecting the vulnerability curve, click Save. After linking each class to a particular vulnerability curve, click Save to store and calculate the Loss.

Linking Vulnerability for Loss Calculation

Once the loss is computed, a loss map will be displayed in the map canvas on the right.

Similar to te Exposure module, two Loss tables will be obtained after the calculation which are the Summary Table and the Detail Table.

In addition to the information obtained from the Exposure calculation, the Loss table contains information about Damage Ratio, Loss Fractions, Loss Area / Length, Loss Value, and Loss Population, depending on the information availability in the elements-at-risk attribute data.

Loss Table Result (Summary Table)

Loss Table Result (Detail Table)

For the Aggregated Loss result, a summary table will be generated after the calculation, showing the total Loss in metrics depending on available Elements-at-Risk attributes for each administrative boundary. For this exercise, we obtain Loss in terms of Area, Value (USD) and Population (number of people).

Aggregated Loss Table Result

You can show the Summary Table into a chart and export the table as XLSX.

Loss Summary Chart

Aggregated Loss Chart

You can configure how the results are visualized on the map. You can also click individual features to see their attributes. The visualization style can be adjusted from the Detail and Classes sections.

Loss Visualization

7. Running a Risk Analysis

For running a risk analysis, aggregated Loss should be calculated beforehand. Additionally, more than one return period Loss for the same Hazard - Elements at Risk combination is required. The calculation up to Loss can follow the steps in previous sections.

Go to Risk > Add Risk. In the General section, enter:

• Name: Flood_Building_Risk.

• Admin Level: Admin_Unit.

• Hazard Type: Flood.

• Hazard Sub Type: Flash Flood.

• EaR: Building_Footprint.

• Risk Reduction Alternative and Scenario are optional. Users can select them if they have been defined in the project.

• Select Aggregated Losses: The list will be automatically filtered according to the selected Admin Level, Hazard Type/Subtype, and EaR. Select more than one return period Loss layers to be used for Risk calculation.

• For this tutorial, we will select Flood20_Building_Loss_Agg, Flood50_Building_Loss_Agg, Flood100_Building_Loss_Agg, and Flood200_Building_Loss_Agg, then click Save.

(This setting is used for calculating building average annual loss to flood for each administrative boundary, after calculating the aggregated loss - Aggrgated Risk)

Risk Calculation

Once the risk is computed, a risk map will be displayed in the map canvas on the right. You can configure how the results are visualized on the map. You can also click individual features to see their attributes. The visualization style can be adjusted from the Detail and Classes sections.

Risk Map and Visualization Settings

A summary table will be generated after the calculation, showing the Average Annual Loss (AAL) in metrics depending on available Elements-at-Risk attributes for each administrative boundary. For this exercise, we obtain AAL in terms of Count, Area, Value (USD) and Population (number of people).

Risk Table Result

You can show the Summary Table into a chart and export the table as XLSX.

Risk Summary Chart

Scenario, Alternative, and Cost-Benefit Analysis

This section introduces the Scenario, Alternative, and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) modules in RiskChanges.

Note

This tutorial assumes that all hazards, elements-at-risk (EAR), and vulnerability data have already been uploaded. Please refer to steps above before proceeding.

• Scenarios represent possible future developments (e.g., climate change, land use, population growth).

• Alternatives represent risk reduction measures (e.g., engineering solution, nature-based solution, relocation).

• CBA compares alternatives to identify the most optimal solution.

Scenario Module

The Scenario module allows users to define future conditions and assess their impact on hazard, exposure, and risk. In this tutorial, we will be using the following scenarios:

Name	Land Use Change	Climate Change
Scenario 1 (Business as Usual)	Rapid growth without risk consideration	Limited change
Scenario 2 (Risk Informed Planning)	Growth considering risk and planning alternatives	Limited change
Scenario 3 (Worst Case)	Rapid growth without risk consideration	Increased extreme events
Scenario 4 (Climate Change Adaptation)	Risk-informed growth	Increased extreme events

Note

Only two land parcel maps and two hazard maps are required:

• Scenario 1 & 2 share the same hazard map

• Scenario 2 & 4 share the same land parcel map

To add a new scenario, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Project Dashboard → Project Settings

2. Select Scenarios

3. Click Add Scenario

4. Fill in:

   • Scenario Name

   • Risk components affected

   • Description (optional)

   • Upload supporting files (optional)

You may refer to the following table for the scenario settings used in this tutorial.

Scenario	Hazard Intensity	Hazard Frequency	EaR Type	EaR Location	EaR Value	EaR Population
Current	No	No	No	No	No	No
Business as Usual	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Risk Informed Planning	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Worst Case	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Climate Change Adaptation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

The submitted Scenario records will be displayed in the Scenario table and can be chosen when uploding the Hazard or Elements-at-Risk datasets representing the Scenario.

Alternative Module

Alternative represent risk reduction strategies evaluated in the system. The following alternatives are used in this tutorial:

Alternative	Description
Engineering Solutions	Structural measures such as basins, slope stabilization, and monitoring systems
Ecological Solutions	Nature-based solutions such as trees, water tanks, and natural parks
Relocation	Moving exposed population to safer areas

Warning

Alternatives 1 and 2 require new hazard and land parcel maps, while Alternative 3 uses the existing hazard data.

To add a new alternative, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Project Dashboard → Project Settings

2. Select Alternatives

3. Click Add Alternative

4. Fill in:

   • Name

   • Risk components affected

   • Description

   • Project Lifetime: Duration of evaluation

   • Total Investment Cost: Initial cost

   • Investment Period: Time before benefits start

   • Maintenance Cost: Annual cost

Note

Investment costs can be estimated by:

• Calculating affected areas or assets

• Applying unit costs (e.g., per m² or per building)

The table below summarizes the cost parameters for the alternatives used in this tutorial.

Parameter	Engineering	Ecological	Relocation
Benefit Start Year	4	6	3
Total Investment Cost (USD)	9,801,016	17,158,442	4,493,700
Annual Maintenance (USD)	294,030	343,168	0
Discount Rate	3%	3%	3%
Project Lifetime	40 years	40 years	40 years

The submitted Alternative records will be displayed in the Alternative table and can be chosen when uploding the Hazard or Elements-at-Risk datasets representing the Alternative.

Uploading Data for Scenarios and Alternatives

When uploading Hazard or EAR datasets:

• Select the corresponding Scenario

• Select the corresponding Alternative

Note

Vulnerability only requires assigning the appropriate curve.

Exposure, Loss, and Risk Calculation

For each alternative or scenario combinations, repeat the same steps from the above sections to calculate Exposure, Loss, and Risk. This allows you to compare the outcomes of different scenarios and alternatives.

Warning

Ensure correct combinations of Scenario and Alternative are selected.

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)

1. Go to CBA Module

2. Click Add CBA

3. Fill in:

   • Name: LP_Current_Engineering

   • Admin Level: Admin_Unit

   • Baseline Risk: FL_LP_Current_NoDRR

   • Alternative Risk: FL_LP_Current_Engineering

   • CBA Region: Entire Region / Admin Unit

   The ‘Entire Region’ option is used for calculating cost-benefit analysis for the entire region of the administrative unit. For ‘Each Admin Unit’, if users choose this option, the CBA will be calculated only on the selected administrative unit chosen by the user. Users can also select the option to apply the whole CBA form to all administrative units.

4. For the CBA form, the users need to fill in the following columns:

   • Base Year: 2020

   • Project Start Year: 2020

   • Project Lifetime: 40 years

   • Currency: USD

   • Investment Cost: 9,801,016

   • Investment Period: 4 years

   • Maintenance Cost: 294,030

   • Discount Rate: 5%

Once the CBA is computed, a CBA map will be displayed in the map canvas on the right. Similar to previous modules, users can modify the visualization and choose the relevant attributes to be shown on the map.

A Summary table and chart will be obtained after the calculation. This table contains information about NPV, BCR and IRR. The administrative level shown depends on the chosen CBA Region. This table is downloadable into XLSX format.

A Detail table and chart are also available, showing the annual benefit calculations. This table contains information on annual cost, present value of cost. Benefit, present value of benefit, net benefit, and discounted net benefit. This table is downloadable into XLSX format.

Note

Tables can be exported as XLSX.

When multiple CBA result layers are activated, users can compare the results using the Compare button. This feature allows users to compare different alternatives by IRR, NPV, and BCR to identify the most optimal alternative. The comparison is available in both table and charts.

Observing the Results

Once all analysis (Exposure, Loss, and Risk) are completed, the results can be visualized, compared, and exported for further exploration. RiskChanges provides options to exports outputs into Geopackage (.gpkg), GeoJSON (.geojson), or Shapefile (.zip) formats, which can be examined using GIS software or integrated into other workflows.

In this chapter, we will discuss how to interpret the results, as well as observing the difference in the outcomes when varying intensity selections are selected.

1. Input Settings Influence on the Calculation

The parameters configuered during data upload and setup significantly influence the computed results of Exposure, Loss, and Risk calculations. The following sections will discuss how different intensity choices affect the final outcomes.

Setting	Influence on Result	Example
Hazard Intensity (Min/Avg/Max)	Determines the calculated exposure area and value for EaR features	Selecting Max increases exposed buildings compared to Avg
Vulnerability Curve Selection	Alters loss ratios and total loss values	Choosing higher vulnerability curves raises loss and AAL
Aggregation Level (Admin Units)	Defines how results are summarized	Aggregated loss shows total USD per district rather than per site

Note

Small differences in the selected hazard intensity values can lead to significant variations in the calculated Exposure, Loss, and Risk metrics. It is crucial to carefully consider the intensity selection during the analysis setup.

2. Visualization Settings and Its Limitation

Visualization plays a critical role in interpreting the results of Exposure, Loss, and Risk analyses. However, it is important to understand that visualization settings primarily affect how results are displayed on the map and do not alter the underlying calculations.

RiskChanges uses a classification-based visualization approach, where results are grouped into classes based on user-defined or automated schemes. This method helps in quickly identifying areas of concern but may oversimplify the data.

• Style Mode determines how values are grouped for map display.

• Color Map aids visual interpretation but does not affect numeric results.

When interpreting visualized results, consider the following:

• The map view shows only one layer at a time. Comparing multiple hazards or scenarios may require exporting results.

• Legend classificatoin depends on current visualization; swathing between average and maximum intensity requires recassification for accurate display.

• For aggregated results, overlapping polygons may make small administrative units less visible.

3. Effect of the Intensity Choice

The Intensity parameter defines which hazard intensity field (Minimum, Average, or Maximum) is visualized and analyzed. While all intensity values are computed internally, only the selected one will be represented on the map.

Example comparison for Flood (20-year return period):

Intensity Type	Avg Depth (m)	Exposed Area (m²)	Loss (USD)	AAL (USD)
Minimum Intensity	0.4	12,350	48,200	9,800
Average Intensity	0.8	23,600	92,100	18,500
Maximum Intensity	1.5	41,200	175,600	34,800

As seen above, higher intensity selection results in increased exposure area, loss values, and average annual loss (AAL). This is due to more severe hazard conditions affecting a larger portion of the elements-at-risk.

When conducting analyses, it is essential to choose the intensity level that best represents the scenario being studied, as it directly impacts the risk assessment outcomes.

4. Exposure Results Observation

The Exposure results show which elements are located within hazard zones and the extent of their exposure based on the selected intensity to quantify their potential impact. You can interpret results by:

• Spatial distribution: Identify clusters of high exposure along rivers or steep slopes.

• Magnitude of impacts: Observe which administrative units contain the most exposed population or building value.

• Return period comparison: Longer return periods typically show higher exposure due to larger hazard extents.

Example interpretation:

• Buildings in the northern floodplain show 80% exposure at 100-year flood intensity.

• Population exposure increases from 15% (20-year) to 45% (200-year).

5. Loss Result Observation

The Loss results indicate the expected damage to elements-at-risk based on their exposure and vulnerability. The results integrate the exposure data with vulnerability curves to estimate potential losses.

• Physical loss represents the expected damage to structures and infrastructure in monetary terms.

• Population loss indicates estimated affected people based on population vulnerability.

• Damage ratio helps understand relative loss per unit value.

Key observation:

• Loss concentration usually follows the exposure distribution but may differ due to vulnerability differences.

• Reinforced concrete buildings generally show lower ratios than masonry structures under the same hazard intensity.

• Comparing alternatives revealrs reduction in total loss values.

6. Risk Result Observation

The Risk module provides an aggregated view of potential annual losses, combining multiple return period loss estimates to calculate the Average Annual Loss (AAL) - the expected yearly loss accounting for hazard frequency and severity.

Interpretation steps:

1. Identiy hotspots: Administrative units with highest AAL indicate priority areas for mitigation.

2. Compare hazards: Overlay different hazard risks to identify multi-hazard zones.

3. Evaluate reduction scenarios: Compare baseline vs alternative scenarios to measure potential benefit.

Example findings:

• Admin unit 5 shows the highest flood AAL, mostly driven by residential areas.

• Risk reduction scenario A2 reduces AAL by 30% compared to baseline.

7. Exporting and Reporting the Results

After completing the analyses, users can export the results for further examination or reporting. RiskChanges supports exporting data in various formats:

• Geopackage (.gpkg) - recommended for GIS analysis with all attributes preserved.

• GeoJSON (.geojson) - suitable for web mapping or integration with dashboards.

• Shapefile (.zip) - for compatibility with legacy GIS tools.

• XLSX table report - for summary statistics or reporting.

Pro Tip: Combine exported exposure, loss, and risk layers in GIS software to create a multi-hazard impact map, overlaying administrative units with population densit to support risk-informed decision-making.