Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide a robust and simple methodology for disaster risk
management officials to assess the total disaster risk posed by dolomite in urban areas of South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach – In order to develop the methodology the basic principles of
disaster risk assessment, incapsulated in the notation R ¼ H V, was applied to provide a vehicle to
quantify hazard and vulnerability aspects related to dolomite risk. Specifically existing knowledge on
inherent dolomite risk classes (hazard component) was aligned to issues of vulnerability (in this case
ageing water infrastructure) to attain a total dolomite disaster risk score for a specific area.
Findings – The results from the practical application of the method indicated that the proposed
dolomite risk assessment methodology is not only robust but easy to comprehend and to apply.
The simplicity of the method also allows for easy integration into existing urban planning and
integrated development planning process.
Originality/value – The creation of the method not only provides a much-needed tool for assessing
the total disaster risk posed by dolomite in urban areas but also adds value to the entire urban and
community development process.