The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) has been active for over 40 years in the fields of international disaster and conflict health studies, with activities linking relief, rehabilitation and development. The Centre promotes research, training and technical expertise on humanitarian emergencies, particularly in public health and epidemiology.
CRED's research scope includes two main axes: natural disasters and crisis situations caused by civil strife, conflict or others. CRED studies broader aspects of humanitarian crises and emergencies, such as socio-economic, gender and environmental issues, with a strong focus on the special needs of vulnerable groups such as women and children.
By providing a wealth of data on health issues arising from disasters and conflict, CRED seeks to improve needs-based preparedness and responses to humanitarian emergencies.
Go to Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters webpageEM-DAT is a global database on natural and technological disasters, containing essential core data on the occurrence and effects of more than 21,000 disasters in the world, from 1900 to present. EM-DAT is maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) at the School of Public Health of the Université catholique de Louvain located in Brussels, Belgium.
The database is made up of information from various sources, including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, insurance companies, research institutes, and press agencies. Priority is given to data from UN agencies, governments, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This prioritization is not only a reflection of the quality or value of the data, it also reflects the fact that most reporting sources do not cover all disasters or have political limitations that could affect the figures. The entries are constantly reviewed for inconsistencies, redundancy, and incompleteness. CRED consolidates and updates data on a daily basis. A further check is made at monthly intervals, and revisions are made at the end of each calendar year.
EM-DAT distinguishes between two generic categories for disasters: natural and technological. The natural disaster category is divided into 5 sub-groups - geophysical (e.g., earthquakes), meteorological (e.g., extreme temperature), hydrological (e.g., flood), climatological (e.g., drought), biological (e.g., epidemic), and extraterrestrial (e.g., asteroids). The 5 sub-groups in turn cover 15 disaster types and more than 30 sub-types. The technological disaster category is divided into 3 sub-groups - industrial, transport, and miscelleanous accidents, - which in turn cover 15 disaster types.
For a disaster to be entered into the database at least one of the following criteria must be fulfilled:
a) Ten (10) or more people reported killed;
b) Hundred (100) or more people reported affected;
c) Declaration of a state of emergency;
d) Call for international assistance.