What and why
Every climate hazard in Telescope is shown with an exposure level. Understanding what these levels mean and how they're determined helps you interpret the results correctly.
How it works
Exposure is assessed by checking whether a property overlaps with or is near mapped hazard zones. For each hazard, the system assigns one of six levels:
Not exposed
Very low
Low
Medium
High
Very high
The level depends on the available data for that hazard. For some hazards, this is based on probability (how often the event is expected to occur). For others, it's based on severity (for example, flood depth) or proximity to a mapped zone.
Where both current climate conditions and future projections are available, the exposure level is based on whichever is higher. For example, if a property has low exposure under current conditions but high exposure under future climate scenarios, the final exposure level is high.
Exposure is determined using the highest-resolution data available for that region. Since data quality and format differ across countries and hazard types, the exact method may vary between analyses.
Good to know
Exposure shows whether a property could be affected, not that it will be. A property with high exposure to flooding is located in or near a flood zone, but that doesn't mean it has flooded or will flood.
Exposure does not take into account the building's characteristics. Two buildings in the same flood zone get the same exposure level, even if one has flood protection and the other doesn't. The sensitivity and vulnerability steps in the climate risk assessment (in Voyager) are where building-specific factors come in.