Human activities have significant impacts on all different components of risk: from amplifying disaster intensity to increasing exposure driven by socioeconomic and population growth, as well the influence of (the lack of) risk reduction strategies on changing vulnerability and susceptibility. At the same time, global policy goals (such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Warsaw Framework for Loss and Damage), force decision makers, to consider integrated solutions that deal with possible trade-offs between natural hazards and society. Coping with such challenges requires a profound understanding of the often complex interactions between the different risk components and communities’ behavioural dynamics.
The perspective of integrating societal and behavioural dynamics into quantitative risk assessment methods has sparked novel research, such as in coupling socio-hydrological systems, integrating individual-based methods (e.g. agent-based models) with risk modelling, and linking methods from the domain of behavioural economics. Such new methods can stimulate research into how society can manage risk and is of crucial value to (local-) governments in improving the design of strategic policies; insurance companies in reducing the vulnerability of their policyholders; and households in mitigating the risk to their property.
In this session, we address recent advancements in natural hazard and risk assessment models, integrating societal feedbacks and spatial and temporal dynamics of the human system (from individuals to global levels). In this regard, how they can contribute to integrative solutions to the Food-Water-Energy Nexus. We invite methodologically oriented contributions focusing on the natural hazards-human systems, discussing the pros and cons of merging such frameworks; policy-oriented contributions that discuss the added value of human dynamics in modelling for decision making, for example regarding the management of freshwater resources.
The session will be dedicated but not limited to these topics. In fact, abstracts are also sought concerning people’s adoption of private preventive strategies, encouraging submissions regarding their adaptation plans and coping mechanism to natural hazards of any kind including both structural and non-structural measures. We especially appreciate studies concerning the role of insurers in incentivizing the implementation of risk reduction strategies, and those exploring people’s willingness to pay (WTP) for such schemes. Contributions that present a multi-dimensional and inter-disciplinary approach to these issues illustrating practical examples, best practices and researchers focusing on lessons learned, and studies that discuss new methodologies and techniques for community empowerment are particularly encouraged.