Exposure Model of Urban Residential Buildings for Seismic Risk Assessment of Prioritized Municipalities in Colombia

Seismic risk assessment is essential for disaster risk reduction and decision‐making processes in hazard‐prone regions. As part of the National Seismic Risk Model of Colombia, an exposure model for residential buildings was developed to support a standardized, nationwide framework for seismic risk evaluation. This paper presents the methodology and results of the exposure model developed for 83 prioritized municipalities across Colombia, offering census‐block level data for use in seismic risk assessments. The exposure model incorporates three critical dimensions: the location of assets associated with hazard levels, the damage propensity based on structural attributes such as construction material and number of stories, and the exposed value, including population and replacement cost. The methodology employed visual inspections and defined taxonomic classification schemes specific to Colombian building typologies, allowing for systematic categorization and extrapolation to other regions. Models were either updated from existing datasets, created anew, or guided by defined development protocols, ensuring internal consistency and future scalability. Key contributions include the development of harmonized, high‐resolution exposure models, the definition of standardized procedures for exposure data generation, and the public availability of these models for broader applications in risk management, multi‐hazard assessment, and policy planning. The work addresses a critical gap in seismic risk modeling by reducing reliance on expert judgment and enhancing the comparability and reliability of risk assessments. This methodological framework establishes a replicable approach for future model development within and beyond Colombia, contributing significantly to the global discourse on earthquake resilience and risk‐informed urban planning.