RETURN Project - PNRR
Published January 27, 2026 | Version v1
Model Open

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

Authors/Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Politecnico di Milano
  • 2. ROR icon University of Florence
  • 3. ROR icon Eurac Research
  • 4. ROR icon University of Naples Federico II
  • 5. ROR icon University of Bari Aldo Moro
  • 6. ROR icon CIMA Research Foundation

Description

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

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Additional details

Funding

European Union
RETURN Extended Partnership and received funding from the European Union NextGenerationEU (National Recovery and Resilience Plan – NRRP, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.3 – D.D. 1243 2/8/2022, PE0000005).