Multi-hazard Risk Unveiled: Pioneering Techniques for Comprehensive Risk Analysis and Mitigation

This study presents a systematic literature review of techniques and methods for assessing and reducing multi-hazards, with a focus on developing nations. The primary aim is to identify the most commonly used multi-hazard assessment approaches, evaluate their effectiveness, and highlight their significance for sustainability and disaster risk reduction. Addressing gaps in the literature, the study emphasizes underexplored dimensions of multi-hazard assessments in vulnerable regions. Using the PRISMA framework, 62 articles from the Scopus database (2013–2022) were reviewed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Analytical methods include descriptive and citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis via VOSviewer, and bibliometric tools, while SPSS 27 and ArcGIS 10.4 software were utilized for graphical and spatial analysis. The review identifies the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM), and weighted methods as prevalent techniques, particularly for their integration with geospatial technologies to assign variable weights in risk evaluation. Quantitative methods dominated the studies (40 articles), followed by mixed-method approaches, with only five articles applying qualitative methods exclusively. Research trends reveal a growing focus on multi-hazards from 2013 to 2022, particularly in developed countries such as the UK (20%), China (14%), Italy (12%), and the USA (10%), while developing nations like India, Colombia, Switzerland, Portugal, and Nepal contributed less (4% each). Common hazards studied include earthquakes and floods, reflecting their significant impact on global economies and societies. Key vulnerabilities analyzed were physical and socio-economic, though systemic and environmental dimensions remain underexplored. Frequent keywords such as “multi-hazard” and “risk assessment” underscore the global focus on integrated risk management. This review offers valuable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and organizations to enhance hazard assessment and risk reduction strategies. It emphasizes the importance of geospatial technologies and holistic planning in addressing vulnerabilities and contributes novel insights by identifying underutilized systemic and environmental factors in multi-hazard risk assessments. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.