Addressing Complex Geo-Environmental Risk: Integrating Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) Management into a Professional Master’s Curriculum

The increasing frequency and complexity of geo-environmental hazards demands a new generation of professionals skilled in translating geoscientific expertise into actionable strategies for Disaster Risk Management (DRM). To bridge the gap between academic knowledge and the practical, regulatory needs of the labor market, the University of Calabria (Southern Italy) developed the 2nd Level Master's degree in "Methodologies and Techniques for Environmental Protection and Management" (META). This contribution presents the pedagogical model of META as a case study in higher education for DRM. The program is designed to train "Environmental Technicians" polyhedral professionals capable of managing risks at the interface between anthropogenic activities and ecosystems. Its transdisciplinary curriculum integrates foundational geosciences (environmental geochemistry, geothermics, petrography) with targeted modules on specific geo-environmental health hazards, such as "Asbestos and Health". This knowledge is pivotally applied to the management of Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA), a central and cross-cutting topic in the Master's curriculum. NOA, common in ophiolitic rocks, can release fibers into the environment through weathering, contaminating water an exposure pathway historically overlooked in favor of airborne fiber monitoring. Waterborne asbestos poses a significant risk due to its potential for transfer to air in domestic, public, and occupational settings. While the health effects of inhalation are well-established, the absence of a consensus on a safety threshold for water underscores the urgent need for the specialized skills the program provides. The Master's addresses this complexity in an integrated manner, training students in the field identification of potentially friable rocks, laboratory analysis, modeling of fiber dispersion, and risk assessment within the regulatory framework, thereby filling a critical educational gap. The program is fundamentally practice oriented, combining blended learning with a mandatory internship. During this placement, students apply key skills like designing pollution monitoring networks and planning remediation to real-world environmental risk scenarios. We present this structure, which integrates science, technical skills, and regulation, as an effective model for building a workforce capable of supporting disaster risk management. This work is funded under the Territorial Agreements for advanced training in companies (Art. 14 bis, paragraph 2, of D.L. 152/2021) – CUP H22C24000120001.