RETURN – Hazards-Impacts Matrix (H-I Matrix)

A new framework for evaluating risk in multi-hazard contexts, known as the Hazards-Impacts Matrix (H-I Matrix), which includes five natural hazards: floods, landslides, droughts, volcanic activities, and earthquakes, and seven impact dimensions. The H-I Matrix has been developed within the RETURN project (multi-Risk sciEnce for resilienT commUnities undeR a changiNg climate). If you have used H-I Matrix in your work, please cite our paper: Molinari, D., Airoldi, F., Asaridis, P., Balingit, A. R., Bastiani, T., Bindi, M., Boni, M. P., Bosone, M., Caporale, D., Castelli, F., Cetara, L., Corradi, E., Cozza, C., De Toro, P., Fontanella Pisa, P., Frattari, C., Fraschini, F., Mele, D., Muratori, S., Ottonelli, D., Padovan, G., Romagnoli, F., Rubino, A., Vigotti, F., and Petrini, L.: A novel multidisciplinary framework for risk assessment in multi-hazard context: the Hazards-Impacts Matrix, SSRN [preprint], https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5749278, 14 November 2025. Data Description The H-I Matrix is provided in an .xlsx file, in which each worksheet corresponds to a category of impacts. These categories correspond to seven problem dimensions: individual well-being, built environment, business activities, public services, environmental systems, communities, and the financial system. Each row of the matrix represents an impact associated with the occurrence of a natural hazard. For each impact, one or more indicators are defined for its quantification, which full characterisation is included in the columns of the matrix. The following table describes the columns present in the H-I Matrix. Component Description Attribute A specific category of expected impact in case of a hazardous event Sub-attribute A specific sub-category of an attribute that allows a detailed characterization of the impact Indicator Quantitative or qualitative variable to measure the sub-attribute Measurement unit Unit of measurement of the indicator (qualitative classes or specific metrics) Preference direction The desired orientation of the indicator’s value to represent a positive result for risk reduction Spatial scale Spatial level of analysis Risk Type of hazard for which the indicator is applicable (flood, landslide, drought, volcanic activity, or earthquake) Model Exposure, statistical, expert-based, and physics-based tools to estimate the indicators Input data Data required for the model classified into hazard, exposure, and vulnerability parameters References Bibliographic sources used to calculate the indicator and reference databases for model inputs