Hazard

A hazard is a potential source of <a href="/facts/Harm/gWEnss9l">harm</a>. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would potentially allow them to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probability of that harm being realized in a specific incident, combined with the magnitude of potential harm, make up its <a href="/facts/Risk/tbBEDA0V">risk</a>. This term is often used synonymously in colloquial speech.
Hazards can be classified in several ways which are not mutually exclusive. They can be classified by causing actor (for example, <a href="/facts/Natural_hazard/hxEjceDk">natural</a> or <a href="/facts/Anthropogenic_hazard/d7oHeBe7">anthropogenic</a>), by physical nature (e.g. <a href="/facts/Biological_hazard/14ajJM9M">biological</a> or <a href="/facts/Chemical_hazard/9dBLejnB">chemical</a>) or by type of damage (e.g., health hazard or <a href="/facts/Environmental_hazard/E7ArNUFC">environmental hazard</a>). Examples of <a href="/facts/Natural_disaster/cCSK2uH0">natural disasters</a> with highly harmful impacts on a <a href="/facts/Society/PulvrYfa">society</a> are <a href="/facts/Flood/FDQjJeXW">floods</a>, <a href="/facts/Drought/LVW0rfuV">droughts</a>, <a href="/facts/Earthquake/NGjIzagw">earthquakes</a>, <a href="/facts/Tropical_cyclone/FQzVXly7">tropical cyclones</a>, <a href="/facts/Lightning_strike/YFXlRMKp">lightning strikes</a>, <a href="/facts/Volcanism/0s6p1eFJ">volcanic activity</a> and <a href="/facts/Wildfire/LU3797A0">wildfires</a>. Technological and anthropogenic hazards include, for example, <a href="/facts/Structural_integrity_and_failure/5aYoMIlw">structural collapses</a>, <a href="/facts/Transport_accident/x9XgNLNo">transport accidents</a>, accidental or intentional <a href="/facts/Explosion/Utp8Wv9D">explosions</a>, and release of toxic materials.

The term climate hazard is used in the context of <a href="/facts/Climate_change/rEN4BDE7">climate change</a>. These are hazards that stem from climate-related events and can be associated with <a href="/facts/Global_warming/rEN4BDE7">global warming</a>, such as wildfires, floods, droughts, <a href="/facts/Sea_level_rise/Pb5MGJxb">sea level rise</a>.: 1181  Climate hazards can combine with other hazards and result in compound event losses (see also <a href="/facts/Loss_and_damage_(climate_change)/R56Tc61s">loss and damage</a>). For example, the climate hazard of heat can combine with the hazard of poor air quality. Or the climate hazard flooding can combine with poor water quality.: 909 
In <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a> terms, common theme across many forms of hazards is the presence of <a href="/facts/Energy/wd8PrQM7">energy</a> that can cause damage, as it can happen with <a href="/facts/Chemical_energy/Y3VP3Ifq">chemical energy</a>, <a href="/facts/Mechanical_energy/gI4oMzoY">mechanical energy</a> or <a href="/facts/Thermal_energy/eVaKAC7K">thermal energy</a>. This damage can affect different valuable interests, and the severity of the associated risk varies.

Hazard open-in-new

Hazard