Students will be familiar with the different risk elements in disaster mitigation studies and problems encountered in the design of buildings against earthquake and wind action. Students will be able to apply methods and current state in natural hazard and risk assessment integrating research and practical applications to urban settlements or structure-specific risk analysis and planning decisions. Students will be familiar with different analysis methods, knowledge-based techniques and tools of empirical and analytical vulnerability assessment. Students will be familiar with the existing building typologies and be able to evaluate the quality of structural systems, to interpret the performance under horizontal action. Students are encouraged to contribute reports of regionally particular building types to World Housing Encyclopedia and/or NHRE database (collection of world-wide case studies à wind or earthquake dominated design; tall & high-rise buildings à comparison of horizontal actions).Methods for risk assessment of buildings and urban settlements (L)Lessons from recent events (earthquake, wind, flood) and field missions; assessment of hazard phenomena; reinterpretation of observed response for different building types; building taxonomies; knowledge-based exposure modelling; empirical and analytical vulnerability assessment; damage classification and fragility functions; damage modelling for large building stocks (earthquake, wind, flood); social risk modelling; decision support systems for OEF, EEW and RRE; building assessment criteria for existing and new building stock; assessment of structural performance under wind and earthquake.Response estimate for disastrous events (E, P)Training in risk scenarios: elaboration of input data for the target area (home countries), generation of shake maps; elaboration of fragility functions; generation of risk scenarios for testbeds or virtual cities and application of decision support system; simulation of mitigation measures.Studies on Recent Natural Hazard Events (P)Description and assessment of hazard phenomena; affected regions; building types; reinterpretation of observed damages for different building types; conclusions from rapid response actions; initiated/necessary mitigation measures (consequences of the event); recent developments in design and construction.