Covener: L. Giani e M. Bostenaru Dan.
This trans-disciplinary session goes beyond the disciplinary boundaries of Earth and environmental sciences to address socially relevant issues associated to geological and climate-related hazards, by integrating disciplinary paradigms and participatory research approaches. Geological and climate related hazards have always been part of Earth’s dynamics, but climate change, together with increasing land use and consumption, is intensifying their frequency, impact and societal consequences, escalating into disaster risk situations.
Effective external communication of risk is essential for the approval and implementation of prevention policies, mitigation plans and resilience pathways for institutions, communities and territories, and for strengthening trust between society and institutions. Understanding how these risks have been communicated and managed in the past can provide insights for planning future resilience actions. In this context, attention is given to how institutions incorporate risk into policies and programmes, how scientific knowledge is transferred into decision-making, and what challenges arise in communicating complex and evolving risk scenarios before, during and after catastrophic events.
The session welcomes contributions that explore the intersection of natural hazard research and social sciences, including studies on risk perception, behavioural change in preparedness and response, awareness, and the mental health impacts associated with hazardous events. Disaster risk reduction strategies should be informed not only by hazard modelling, but also by the social dynamics that shape real-world readiness and response among residents, tourists, experts and other stakeholders, as well as the protection of cultural and natural heritage.
A special focus will be devoted to case studies illustrating how institutions and scientists have addressed social crises induced by one or more geological or climate-related phenomena, how communication has activated—or failed to activate—the chain of civil responsibility, and how nature-based solutions can contribute to reducing the negative effects of climate change while supporting well-being and mental health. An emphasis will be placed on the concept of the mental map of heritage habitats, investigated through psychogeographical approaches, as a key element to be preserved and considered in retrofit, emergency management and post-disaster rebuilding processes.