Natural hazards pose serious threats to human health, settlements and the environment. The nature of impacts can be monetizable or hard to measure through economic metrics. Impacts can occur immediately due to the effects of a physical forcing or might persist, evolve and aggravate or resolve in time.
This session aims at gathering researchers interested in the scientific advances related to the multiple facets of natural hazard impacts, i.e., direct, indirect, tangible and intangible losses.
The session welcomes novel approaches to address impact modelling, data analysis, uncertainty analysis, calibration/validation and theoretical frameworks across all natural hazard types, e.g., floods, droughts, earthquakes, wind storms etc.. The topics include but are not limited to:
- comprehensive assessment of the economic impacts of natural hazards, emphasizing the importance of robust cost evaluations for informed decision-making in disaster risk reduction, hazard management, cost-effectiveness and efficiency of risk reduction strategies, and climate change adaptation planning.
- cascading impacts from direct losses to systemic indirect losses, e.g., business interruption, disruptions to critical services.
- indirect and intangible impacts of natural hazards, which are increasingly significant in today’s interconnected socio-technological world. These include loss of irreplaceable items or ecosystem services, and the impacts on physical and mental health. Special attention will be given to the effects on specific population groups, such as socially vulnerable communities, and the long-term health impacts of climatic stressors. Given the complex nature of these impacts, the session will also focus on novel systemic approaches to assess the interplay of hazards with social vulnerability, particularly through the use of advanced data analysis techniques such as machine learning and spatial disaggregation.
- challenges posed by the lack of empirical data and the diversity of methodologies currently applied to assess the costs associated with different natural hazards and impacted sectors, e.g., agriculture, population, buildings etc.
Submissions are encouraged from those engaged in both theoretical and practical aspects of impact assessment, with a view to fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and advancing the field. Outstanding contributions will be highlighted as “solicited talks,” emphasizing their importance to the session’s goals.