Hazards and risks are closely related concepts in disaster management, but they have different meanings and implications. Understanding the distinction between them is essential for disaster vulnerability and risk assessment, planning, and mitigation. A hazard is a potentially damaging event, phenomenon, substance, or human activity that can cause loss of life, injury, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation. Hazards represent the source of potential harm. They may occur naturally, such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, droughts, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, or they may be human-induced, such as industrial accidents, chemical spills, nuclear accidents, fires, and acts of terrorism. A hazard exists regardless of whether people or assets are present in the affected area. For example, an earthquake occurring in an uninhabited desert remains a hazard even if it causes no damage. Risk, on the other hand, refers to the likelihood of harmful consequences resulting from the interaction of a hazard with vulnerable