The potential occurrence of a natural or human-induced physical event that may cause loss of life, injury, or other health outcomes, as well as damage and loss to property, infrastructure, livelihoods, service provision, and environmental resources. 

The Hazard Mapping Application was developed to establish geographically (at national and sub national scales) where and to what extent particular hazard events are likely to pose a threat to people, property, infrastructure and economic activities in Sierra Leone. The use of maps is one way to depict the spatial location, size and frequency of hazards in the country and they also provide clear and attractive pictures of the geographic distribution of potential hazard sources and impacts, including motivations for risk management actions that would be difficult to obtain without a compelling visualisation. The application allowed a more comprehensive mapping of not only hazards but also exposure, vulnerabilities, and disaster risks to better support decision-making.