{
  "dataset_title": "Natural Disasters in the Middle East: Historical & Contemporary Benchmark Catalog (Antiquity–2026)",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "release_date": "2026-10-14",
  "geographic_bounding_box": {
    "min_latitude": 12.0,
    "max_latitude": 42.5,
    "min_longitude": 25.0,
    "max_longitude": 65.0
  },
  "covered_countries": [
    {
      "name": "Turkey",
      "iso3": "TUR",
      "subregion": "Anatolia"
    },
    {
      "name": "Iran",
      "iso3": "IRN",
      "subregion": "Iranian Plateau"
    },
    {
      "name": "Iraq",
      "iso3": "IRQ",
      "subregion": "Mesopotamia"
    },
    {
      "name": "Syria",
      "iso3": "SYR",
      "subregion": "Levant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lebanon",
      "iso3": "LBN",
      "subregion": "Levant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jordan",
      "iso3": "JOR",
      "subregion": "Levant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Israel",
      "iso3": "ISR",
      "subregion": "Levant"
    },
    {
      "name": "State of Palestine",
      "iso3": "PSE",
      "subregion": "Levant"
    },
    {
      "name": "Egypt",
      "iso3": "EGY",
      "subregion": "Nile Valley & Red Sea"
    },
    {
      "name": "Saudi Arabia",
      "iso3": "SAU",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "Yemen",
      "iso3": "YEM",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "Oman",
      "iso3": "OMN",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "United Arab Emirates",
      "iso3": "ARE",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "Qatar",
      "iso3": "QAT",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "Bahrain",
      "iso3": "BHR",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kuwait",
      "iso3": "KWT",
      "subregion": "Arabian Peninsula"
    },
    {
      "name": "Cyprus",
      "iso3": "CYP",
      "subregion": "Levant"
    }
  ],
  "fields": [
    {
      "name": "id",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Unique alphanumeric record identifier (e.g., ME-EQ-TUR-1999-01, ME-CYC-OMN-2007-01)."
    },
    {
      "name": "event_name",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Canonical title of the disaster event in English."
    },
    {
      "name": "country",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Country where the primary impact occurred."
    },
    {
      "name": "iso3",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 three-letter country code."
    },
    {
      "name": "subregion",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Geographical subregion: Anatolia, Iranian Plateau, Mesopotamia, Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Nile Valley & Red Sea."
    },
    {
      "name": "disaster_type",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Primary hazard category: Earthquake, Tropical Cyclone, Flash Flood, River Flood, Severe Winter Storm, Wildfire, Extreme Heat, Drought, Tsunami, Volcanic Eruption, Extreme Dust Storm."
    },
    {
      "name": "disaster_subtype",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Specific geological, meteorological, or hydrological subtype classification."
    },
    {
      "name": "date_start",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO-8601 start date (YYYY-MM-DD or BCE formatted)."
    },
    {
      "name": "date_end",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "ISO-8601 end date."
    },
    {
      "name": "year",
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Calendar year of occurrence (negative values indicate BCE)."
    },
    {
      "name": "century_or_era",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Historical era or century for temporal partitioning."
    },
    {
      "name": "primary_location",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Primary geographic cities, provinces, or topographical features impacted."
    },
    {
      "name": "admin_division",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Primary administrative division (Province, Governorate, State, or Region)."
    },
    {
      "name": "latitude",
      "type": "float",
      "description": "Latitude coordinate in decimal degrees (WGS84)."
    },
    {
      "name": "longitude",
      "type": "float",
      "description": "Longitude coordinate in decimal degrees (WGS84)."
    },
    {
      "name": "depth_km",
      "type": "float",
      "description": "Hypocentral depth in kilometers (for seismic events)."
    },
    {
      "name": "magnitude",
      "type": "float",
      "description": "Physical magnitude value (Mw, rainfall mm, wind km/h, peak temp °C)."
    },
    {
      "name": "magnitude_type",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Unit or scale of the primary magnitude metric."
    },
    {
      "name": "intensity_mmi",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) where documented."
    },
    {
      "name": "severity_metric",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Synthesized human-readable physical impact benchmark metric."
    },
    {
      "name": "severity_level",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Categorical severity tier: Moderate, High, Very High, Catastrophic."
    },
    {
      "name": "fatalities",
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Confirmed direct and indirect fatalities."
    },
    {
      "name": "fatalities_estimate_range",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Documented range of historical or contested casualty estimates."
    },
    {
      "name": "injuries",
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Confirmed injuries or hospitalizations."
    },
    {
      "name": "displaced_evacuated",
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Total individuals displaced, evacuated, or made homeless."
    },
    {
      "name": "economic_damage_usd_est",
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Estimated total direct and indirect economic damage in USD."
    },
    {
      "name": "tectonic_or_synoptic_driver",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Geological fault system or synoptic weather pattern responsible."
    },
    {
      "name": "summary",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Detailed narrative summary of disaster event chronology and consequences."
    },
    {
      "name": "emergency_response_and_recovery",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Emergency response actions by civil defense, military, international aid, or Red Crescent."
    },
    {
      "name": "sources",
      "type": "array[string]",
      "description": "Authoritative database citations, peer-reviewed monographs, and institutional references."
    },
    {
      "name": "links",
      "type": "array[string]",
      "description": "Array of verified official website URLs and DOI links corresponding to each citation in sources."
    },
    {
      "name": "source_urls",
      "type": "array[string]",
      "description": "Array of verified official website URLs and DOI links corresponding to each citation in sources."
    }
  ]
}