Several types of dangerous phenomena (either natural or man-made) pose a serious risk in many parts of the world, causing sometimes damages to human beings, their properties or the environment. Currently, in many less developed countries, characterized by heavy concentration of people in restricted areas, poorly regulated urbanization, and uncontrolled land use, natural or man-made hazards can result in severe effects, even if its original impact was not so critical. The catastrophic impact of these phenomena can be significantly reduced using different methods of mitigation or prevention. A fundamental task in hazard evaluation includes the prediction of the area influenced by the hazardous phenomenon, of its evolution in space and time, and the understanding of triggering mechanisms. As concerns specific risk, a further issue must be analysed in terms of vulnerability, i.e. the evaluation of potential effects on exposed elements.
In recent years, several types of monitoring approaches and 2D and 3D numerical models have been developed to predict the behaviour of dangerous phenomena, starting from their response to trigger factors. Nevertheless, such tools require a detailed knowledge of several environmental factors (e.g. geological, mechanical, and hydrological) and of boundary conditions, and therefore are generally applied only in relevant cases or to small study areas.
Aiming at decreasing the risk, innovative (possibly, low-cost and non-invasive) approaches may range from modelling to monitoring, to land use planning and knowledge dissemination, to realizing remedial works. Examples of innovative methods of monitoring, modelling, and simulation (and related methods of calibration and validation, as well as of sensitivity analyses), as well as of original combinations of structural and non-structural approaches for risk reduction are welcome. Comparative discussions on potential and limits of different approaches are also within the scope of this session.
A selection of the studies presented at the Conference will be considered for publication in a special issue, after a standard phase of review.