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 platform.

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, this document for Exposure and Loss Calculation tutorial, and this document for Scenario, Alternative, and CBA Module.

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

👉 You may also go to these links to access the public project of this tutorial and clone the project to your account from the Project Settings.

1. Demo Dataset 1 - Basis Risk Assessment

2. Demo Dataset 2 - Future Scenario Risk Assessment

3. Demo Dataset 3 - Alternative Risk and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Clone Public Project

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 the project configuration page which consists of five tabs: General, Team, Share to Public, Alternatives, and Scenarios.

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

• Project Name: Risk City

• Study Area: Boundary Dataset: geoBoundaries (Open), Country: Italy, Admin Level 1: Salerno, Admin Level 2: Nocera Inferiore

• Description: This is a demonstration dataset based on Nocera Inferiore, Italy. The information presented does not reflect the actual conditions of the area and is intended solely for demonstration purposes within the RiskChanges platform.

Filling General section

If you want to work collaboratively, go to the Team tab and invite your team members. You can skip 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.

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. You can customize visualization under the Detail section:

• Label Field: Admin unit

• Color Scale: aliceblue

Uploading Administrative Boundary data

Hazard Data

Head over to Hazard > Add Hazard. Upload hazard data in GeoTIFF or zipped shapefile format.

Fill in required fields:

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

• Return Periods, 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, adjust settings in the Detail section and click Save:

Hazard Name	Class Mode	Field	Min Value	Max Value	Classification Method	Color Map
Debris Flow	User Defined Classes	VALUE	0.001	12.5	Quantile	YlOrBr

Hazard Visualization

Element-at-Risk (EaR) Data

Go to EaR > Add EaR to upload buildings, roads, or land parcels in GeoTIFF or zipped shapefile format. Then define:

• Layer Name

• Element at Risk Type / Element at Risk Sub Type

• Representation Year, optional: Alternative, Scenario

Similarly, use the Detail section to adjust visualization settings:

EaR Name	Style Mode	Field	Area Field	Area Unit	Value Field	Value Unit	People Field	People Unit	Color Map
Building Point	Automatic Classes	[TYPE]	[AREA]	sq.m	[VALUE]	USD	[PEOPLE]	number	brg_r
Building Footprints	Automatic Classes	[USE]	[AREA_N]	sq.m	[VALUE]	USD	[PEOPLE]	number	brg_r
Roads	User Defined Classes	[CALCULATED_AREA_LENGTH]	–	–	–	–	–	–	autumn_r
Land Parcel	Automatic 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 file or filling in data manually under the Data tab. CSV files require Hazard Intensity and Average Vulnerability column headers.

Fill out metadata under General:

• Vulnerability Region and Vulnerability Type

• Hazard Type and Hazard Sub Type

• Hazard Intensity Class Mode, Hazard Intensity, and Hazard Intensity Unit

• EaR Type, EaR Sub Type, and EaR Class

• Source, Description

• Public/Private visibility (Is Public): If set to Yes, the record is stored under All Vulnerability after administrator validation; otherwise, under My Vulnerability.

Vulnerability Table Input

Vulnerability Curve

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): Calculates exposure for each elements-at-risk feature.

• Aggregated (admin unit-based): Calculates exposure aggregated by administrative boundaries.

In the General section, enter:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building

• Hazard: FL_20

• EaR: Building_Footprint

• Intensity: Select Average Intensity (options include Minimum, Average, Maximum).

(This setting calculates 20-year return period flood exposure to building footprints — Individual Exposure)

Individual Exposure Calculation

For Aggregated Exposure, calculate an associated Individual Exposure beforehand:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building_Agg

• Exposure: Flood20_Building

• Admin Level: Admin_Unit

• Intensity: Average Intensity

Aggregated Exposure Calculation

Once calculated, two tables are obtained: Summary Table and Detail Table. The Summary Table summarizes exposed Elements-at-Risk counts and areas per class. The Detail Table shows feature-level values including Minimum, Average, and Maximum hazard intensity.

Summary and detail tables report metrics such as:

• Exposed fraction

• Exposed area / length

• Exposed Population and Value

• Minimum, average, and maximum intensity (Detail Table)

Exposure Table Result (Summary Table)

Exposure Table Result (Detail Table)

Aggregated Exposure generates summary metrics (Area, Value in USD, Population) per administrative boundary and can be exported as XLSX or displayed as charts.

Exposure Summary Chart

Aggregated Exposure Chart

Note

Layer visualization affects subsequent Exposure, Loss, and Risk calculations. Re-calculate Exposure if class ranges or styles are changed before computing Loss or Risk.

6. Running a Loss Analysis

Go to Loss > Add Loss. Choose between:

• Individual (feature-based): Calculates loss for each elements-at-risk feature.

• Aggregated (admin unit-based): Calculates loss aggregated by administrative boundaries.

In the General section, enter:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building_Loss

• Exposure: Flood20_Building

Click Save & Next.

Link each EaR class to its associated vulnerability curve in the General tab (from My Vulnerability or All Vulnerability) and click Save.

Linking Vulnerability for Loss Calculation

For Aggregated Loss, calculate individual loss beforehand:

• Layer Name: Flood20_Building_Loss_Agg

• Loss: Flood20_Building_Loss

• Admin Level: Admin_Unit

• Intensity: Average Intensity

Loss Calculation

Loss calculations output Summary Table and Detail Table detailing Damage Ratio, Loss Count, Loss Area, Loss Population, and Loss Value.

Loss Table Result (Summary Table)

Loss Table Result (Detail Table)

Repeat all steps from Exposure through Aggregated Loss for all return periods (20, 50, 100, 200).

7. Running a Risk Analysis

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

• Name: Flood_Building_Risk

• Admin Level: Admin_Unit

• Hazard Type: Flood

• Hazard Sub Type: Fluvial flood

• EaR: Building_Footprint

• Select Aggregated Losses: Select multiple return period aggregated loss layers (Flood20_Building_Loss_Agg, Flood50_Building_Loss_Agg, Flood100_Building_Loss_Agg, Flood200_Building_Loss_Agg).

• Click Save & Next.

Risk Calculation

Once computed, a risk map is rendered. The summary table shows Average Annual Loss (AAL) in terms of Count, Area, Value (USD), and Population per administrative unit.

Risk Table Result

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.

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

• Alternatives represent risk reduction measures (e.g., engineering solution, ecological 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, four scenarios are used:

Name	Land Use Change	Climate Change
Scenario 1 (Business as usual)	Rapid growth without taking into account risk information	Limited change in climate expected
Scenario 2 (Risk informed planning)	Rapid growth taking into account risk information and extending alternatives in planning	Limited change in climate expected
Scenario 3 (Worst case)	Rapid growth without taking into account risk information	Climate change expected, leading to more frequent extreme events
Scenario 4 (Climate change adaptation)	Rapid growth taking into account risk information and extending alternatives in planning	Climate change expected, leading to more frequent extreme events

Note

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

• Scenario 1 & 2 share the same hazard map.

• Scenario 2 & 4 share the same land parcel map.

To define a Scenario:

1. Go to Project Dashboard → Project Settings.

2. Select Scenarios and click Add Scenarios.

3. Fill in Scenario Name and tick the Risk Component which changes due to the scenario.

4. Input description and upload supporting files if applicable.

Scenario component matrix 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

Submitted scenarios will appear in the Scenario Table and can be chosen when uploading Hazard or Elements-at-Risk layers.

Alternative Module

Alternatives represent risk reduction strategies evaluated in RiskChanges. The three alternatives used in this tutorial:

Alternative	Details
1: Engineering Solutions	Active and passive control works: soil removal in landslide areas, storage basins, water channels, and slope monitoring systems.
2: Ecological Solutions	Active and passive control works: soil removal, soil nailing, water tanks, water channels, oak tree barriers, and natural park establishment.
3: Relocation	Relocating residential population from endangered units by compensation or providing new housing.

Note

Alternatives 1 and 2 require new land parcel and hazard intensity maps. Alternative 3 uses existing hazard maps.

To define an Alternative:

1. Go to Project Dashboard → Project Settings.

2. Select Alternatives and click Add Alternatives.

3. Fill in Alternative Name, tick changed Risk Components, and enter economic parameters:

   • Project Lifetime (years): Duration for cost-benefit evaluation.

   • Total Initial Investment Cost: Total cost of implementation.

   • Initial Investment Period (years): Time before benefit is achieved.

   • Annual Maintenance Cost: Annual cost to maintain the alternative.

Cost parameters summary for this tutorial:

Parameter	Alternative 1: Engineering solutions	Alternative 2: Ecological solutions	Alternative 3: Relocation
Benefit Start Year	4	6	3
Total Investment Cost	$9,801,016.00	$17,158,442.00	$4,493,700.00
Annual Maintenance Cost	$294,030.48	$343,168.84	$0.00
Discount Percent Rate	3%	3%	3%
Project Lifetime	40 years	40 years	40 years

Submitted alternatives will appear in the Alternative Table and can be selected when uploading Hazard or Elements-at-Risk layers.

Upload Associated Data & Layer Combinations

When uploading hazard or elements-at-risk datasets representing specific scenarios or alternatives, select the applicable Scenario or Alternative option during upload.

Layer combinations used for analysis:

Scenarios	Land Parcel Layer	Flood Layer
Current	LP_2020_A0_S0	FL_DE_2020_A0 (20, 50, 100, 200 RP)
Business as Usual	LP_2050_BAU	FL_DE_2050 (20, 50, 100 RP)
Risk Informed Planning	LP_2025_RiskInformedPlanning	FL_DE_2050 (20, 50, 100 RP)
Worst Case	LP_2050_BAU	FL_DE_2100 (20, 50 RP)
Climate Change Adaptation	LP_2025_RiskInformedPlanning	FL_DE_2100 (20, 50 RP)

Alternatives	Layers Combination
0: No DRR	Same as Current Scenario layers combination.
1: Engineering Solutions	LP_2020_Engineering & FL_DE_Engineering (20, 50, 100, 200 RP)
2: Ecological Solutions	LP_2020_Ecological & FL_DE_Ecological (20, 50, 100, 200 RP)
3: Relocation	LP_2020_Relocation & FL_DE_Relocation (20, 50, 100, 200 RP)

Calculate Exposure, Loss, and Risk for Alternatives

Repeat the Exposure, Loss, and Risk calculation workflow for each alternative/scenario layer combination to derive Baseline Risk and Alternative Risk layers for Cost-Benefit Analysis.

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Module

The CBA module calculates cost-efficiency by comparing baseline risk with alternative risk.

1. Go to CBA and click Add CBA.

2. Under the General section, fill in:

   • Name: LP_Current_Engineering

   • Admin Level: Admin_Unit

   • Baseline Risk: FL_LP_Current_NoDRR

   • Alternative Risk: FL_LP_Current_Engineering

   • CBA Region: Select Entire Region or Each Admin Unit.

Note

Selecting Entire Region computes CBA for the entire project region. Selecting Each Admin Unit computes CBA for individual administrative units.

3. Fill in the CBA Form parameters:

   • Base Year: 2020

   • Project Starting Year: 2020

   • Project Lifetime in Years: 40

   • Currency: USD

   • Total Investment Cost: 9801016.00

   • Initial Investment Period in Years: 4

   • Annual Operation and Maintenance Cost: 294030.48

   • Discount Rate Percentage: 5

4. Click Save & Next.

Upon calculation, a CBA map is rendered on the map canvas.

CBA Output Tables & Comparison

• Summary Table & Chart: Displays key economic indicators including NPV (Net Present Value), BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio), and IRR (Internal Rate of Return). Downloadable in XLSX format.

• Detail Table & Chart: Shows annual benefit calculations including Annual Cost, Present Value of Cost, Benefit, Present Value of Benefit, Net Benefit, and Discounted Net Benefit over the project lifetime.

• CBA Comparison: When multiple CBA result layers are activated, click Compare to compare alternatives by IRR, NPV, and BCR in both tabular and graphical charts to select the optimal risk reduction intervention.