scholarly journals The importance of raising risk awareness: lessons learned about risk awareness sessions from the Mediterranean region (North Morocco and West Sardinia, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ante Ivčević ◽  
Hubert Mazurek ◽  
Lionel Siame ◽  
Raquel Bertoldo ◽  
Vania Statzu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. Risk management is used in societies to mitigate the potentially dramatic effects of natural hazards. Local authorities and managers use different indicators in elaborating rescue and urbanism plans, which are not always efficient in reducing impact in the time of the crisis. This highlights society’s vulnerability in the particular context of global environmental and climate changes. This interdisciplinary research aimed at identifying reliable risk indicators and societal responses regarding natural hazards and climate change impacts, to provide a governance framework for disaster risk reduction. Different societies face diverse risks and do not necessarily have the same level of local awareness confronting them. Two sites were thus selected from the Mediterranean basin, one from the South coast (North Morocco), other from the North coast (the Italian island of Sardinia). North Morocco, the region of multi-risks, is characterized by high demographic and economic pressures; West Sardinia counts for remarkable biodiversity of wetlands and is characterized by high environmental and agricultural pressures, which in both cases intensify the vulnerability of the coastal areas. Testing for the local population’s preparedness for future financial protection showed the importance of risk awareness sessions as an indicator of risk management. The significance of risk awareness sessions is demonstrated in a quantitative part of the study with the local population, and their importance is also discussed with other stakeholders in North Morocco in a qualitative part of the study. Based on these findings, further ideas on a new series of less descriptive, more dynamic, and more user-friendly indicators are suggested. How can risk sessions be a dynamic indicator of a resilient society? The obtained results could serve in future governance frameworks for the mitigation of natural hazards in the Mediterranean region and wider. Finally, the urgent need for continuous work to overcome the communication gap between the scientific community, risk administrators, civil society and the general population is encouraged.

scholarly journals Lessons learned about the importance of raising risk awareness in the Mediterranean region (north Morocco and west Sardinia, Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 3749-3765
Author(s):  
Ante Ivčević ◽  
Hubert Mazurek ◽  
Lionel Siame ◽  
Raquel Bertoldo ◽  
Vania Statzu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
North Coast ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. In order to mitigate the potentially dramatic effects of natural hazards, risk management measures are critical. However, the lack of interdisciplinary indicators and adaptable governance frameworks highlights society's vulnerability in the particular context of global environmental and climate change. This interdisciplinary research aimed at identifying reliable risk indicators and societal responses regarding natural hazards and climate change impacts to provide a governance framework for disaster risk reduction. Different societies face diverse risks and do not necessarily have the same level of local awareness of these risk. To explore the diversity of risks, two sites were selected from the Mediterranean basin, one chosen from the south coast (north Morocco) and the other from the north coast (the Italian island of Sardinia). North Morocco, a region of multi-risks, is characterised by high demographic and economic pressures; west Sardinia has remarkable biodiversity of wetlands and is characterised by high environmental and agricultural pressures, which in both cases intensify the vulnerability of the coastal areas. Testing for the local population's preparedness for future financial protection allowed for discussing the importance of risk awareness sessions or activities as an indicator of risk management. The significance of risk awareness sessions is shown in a quantitative part of the study, and its importance is also discussed with local stakeholders in north Morocco in a qualitative part of the study. It is shown that, although risk awareness sessions are recognised as important in risk management, they are not necessarily implemented. Based on these findings, further ideas on a new series of less descriptive, more dynamic and more user-friendly indicators are suggested. How can risk sessions be a dynamic indicator of a resilient society? The obtained results could serve in future governance frameworks for the mitigation of natural hazards in the Mediterranean region and more widely. Finally, the urgent need for continuous work to overcome the communication gap between the scientific community, risk administrators, civil society and the general population is emphasised.

scholarly journals The climate of the Mediterranean region: research progress and climate change impacts

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1679-1684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piero Lionello ◽  
Fatima Abrantes ◽  
Miroslav Gacic ◽  
Serge Planton ◽  
Ricardo Trigo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Research Progress ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Modelling Mediterranean agro-ecosystems by including agricultural trees in the LPJmL model

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 4997-5040 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fader ◽  
W. von Bloh ◽  
S. Shi ◽  
A. Bondeau ◽  
W. Cramer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Olive Trees ◽  
Agricultural Yields ◽  
Fodder Grasses

Abstract. Climate and land use change in the Mediterranean region is expected to affect natural and agricultural ecosystems by decreases in precipitation, increases in temperature as well as biodiversity loss and anthropogenic degradation of natural resources. Demographic growth in the Eastern and Southern shores will require increases in food production and put additional pressure on agro-ecosystems and water resources. Coping with these challenges requires informed decisions that, in turn, require assessments by means of a comprehensive agro-ecosystem and hydrological model. This study presents the inclusion of 10 Mediterranean agricultural plants, mainly perennial crops, in an agro-ecosystem model (LPJmL): nut trees, date palms, citrus trees, orchards, olive trees, grapes, cotton, potatoes, vegetables and fodder grasses. The model was successfully tested in three model outputs: agricultural yields, irrigation requirements and soil carbon density. With the development presented in this study, LPJmL is now able to simulate in good detail and mechanistically the functioning of Mediterranean agriculture with a comprehensive representation of ecophysiological processes for all vegetation types (natural and agricultural) and in a consistent framework that produces estimates of carbon, agricultural and hydrological variables for the entire Mediterranean basin. This development pave the way for further model extensions aiming at the representation of alternative agro-ecosystems (e.g. agroforestry), and opens the door for a large number of applications in the Mediterranean region, for example assessments on the consequences of land use transitions, the influence of management practices and climate change impacts.

scholarly journals Telluric and Climate-Related Risk Awareness, and Risk Mitigation Strategies in the Azores Archipelago: First Steps for Building Societal Resilience

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8653
Author(s):  
Ante Ivčević ◽  
Isabel Estrela Rego ◽  
Rui Gaspar ◽  
Vania Statzu
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
Azores Archipelago ◽  
The North ◽  
Risk Mitigation Strategies

Islands are often considered excellent socio-ecological laboratories for testing the rapidity of global change since they experience the climate effects of sea-level rise faster than other areas. The Azores are a Portuguese volcanic archipelago located on the junction of the three tectonic plates: the Eurasian, the African and the North American plates. São Miguel, the main island of the Azores archipelago, hosts three active volcanoes, but the last significant volcanic eruption was the Capelinhos volcano on the island of Faial in 1957. Hence, the Azores offers the opportunity to assess insular risk awareness, facing both telluric and climate-related hazards. The key research question emerges from their natural situation: how does the local population perceive the threat of the natural hazards that occur in Azores? Because risks are socially constructed and depend on the uniqueness of territories, risk mitigation strategies must focus on the individual experiences of local dwellers, as a relationship between risk awareness and such strategies may be expected. To analyze this relationship, a web-based survey with a questionnaire including these variables was administered to a sample of Azoreans. The study aimed to assess risk awareness of the Azorean population and find a relationship between this and reported mitigation strategies. The results gave a preliminary insight into Azorean risk awareness of natural hazards and showed a significant positive relationship between risk awareness-raising activities and reported mitigation strategies. This is relevant information for municipalities and regional governments of areas with similar risk exposures, showing that, although risk awareness alone is not enough for measures to be implemented, it may be an important motivational first step for this to occur.

scholarly journals Risk perception of local stakeholders on natural hazards: implications for theory and practice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihai Ciprian Mărgărint ◽  
Mihai Niculiţă ◽  
Giulia Roder ◽  
Paolo Tarolli
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
Local Stakeholders ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

Abstract. In Romania, local stakeholders' knowledge plays a decisional role in emergencies, supporting rescue officers in natural hazard events, coordinating and assisting, both physically and psychologically, the affected populations. However, despite in Iași Metropolitan area (NE of Romania), the occurrence and severity of natural hazards are increasing there is a lack of knowledge of local stakeholders to address the population toward safety actions. For this reason, 118 local stakeholders were interviewed to determine their risk awareness and preparedness capacities over a set of natural hazards to understand where the lack of knowledge, action, and trust are exacerbated the most. Results reveal substantial distinctions among stakeholders and the different threats based on their cognitive and behavioral roles in the communities. The role of responsibility and trust has been seen as important driving factors shaping their perception and preparedness. Preparedness levels were low, and, not for all, learning and preparatory actions are needed to withstand the negative occurrences of natural hazards. As their role is to refer with direct interventions in affected areas managing communication initiatives with the entire population of the community, there is the need to create stakeholders' networks, empowering local actors that could serve as a bridge between authorities' decisions and local people in order to make effective risk management plans and secure more lives and economies.

Lokale Risikomündigkeit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Bönewitz
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Risk Awareness ◽  
The Social ◽  
Local Risk ◽  
Management Approaches

This thesis explores the contribution of the concept of ‘lokale Risikomündigkeit’ (local risk awareness) to the study of societal handling of natural hazards. ‘Risikomündigkeit’ is based on the promise of an enlightened society of responsible citizens and is expressed in the practice of risk management. After engaging in critical reflection, the author develops the concept of 'lokale Risikomündigkeit' as a praxeologically, rationally and geographically sound analytical heuristic. It becomes clear that the social practice of risk management is characterised by diverse, partly contradictory forms of logic that cannot be assumed to be conventionally rational and cannot be comprehensively grasped by purely evidence-based risk management approaches.

scholarly journals Modelling Mediterranean agro-ecosystems by including agricultural trees in the LPJmL model

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 3545-3561 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fader ◽  
W. von Bloh ◽  
S. Shi ◽  
A. Bondeau ◽  
W. Cramer
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Socioeconomic Changes ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Olive Trees ◽  
Agricultural Yields

Abstract. In the Mediterranean region, climate and land use change are expected to impact on natural and agricultural ecosystems by warming, reduced rainfall, direct degradation of ecosystems and biodiversity loss. Human population growth and socioeconomic changes, notably on the eastern and southern shores, will require increases in food production and put additional pressure on agro-ecosystems and water resources. Coping with these challenges requires informed decisions that, in turn, require assessments by means of a comprehensive agro-ecosystem and hydrological model. This study presents the inclusion of 10 Mediterranean agricultural plants, mainly perennial crops, in an agro-ecosystem model (Lund-Potsdam-Jena managed Land – LPJmL): nut trees, date palms, citrus trees, orchards, olive trees, grapes, cotton, potatoes, vegetables and fodder grasses. The model was successfully tested in three model outputs: agricultural yields, irrigation requirements and soil carbon density. With the development presented in this study, LPJmL is now able to simulate in good detail and mechanistically the functioning of Mediterranean agriculture with a comprehensive representation of ecophysiological processes for all vegetation types (natural and agricultural) and in a consistent framework that produces estimates of carbon, agricultural and hydrological variables for the entire Mediterranean basin. This development paves the way for further model extensions aiming at the representation of alternative agro-ecosystems (e.g. agroforestry), and opens the door for a large number of applications in the Mediterranean region, for example assessments of the consequences of land use transitions, the influence of management practices and climate change impacts.

Extreme precipitation events in the Mediterranean region: their characteristics and connection to large-scale atmospheric patterns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Mastrantonas ◽  
Linus Magnusson ◽  
Florian Pappenberger ◽  
Jörg Matschullat
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Extreme Events ◽  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Precipitation Events

<p>The Mediterranean region is an area with half a billion population, about 10 percent contribution to the world’s GDP, and locations of global natural, historical and cultural significance. In this context, natural hazards in the area have the potential for severe negative impacts on society, economy, and environment. </p><p>Some of the most frequent and devastating natural hazards that affect the Mediterranean relate to extreme precipitation events causing flash floods and landslides. Thus, given their adverse consequences, it is of immense importance to better understand their statistical characteristics and connection to large-scale atmospheric patterns. Such advances can substantially support the accurate and early identification of these extreme events, improve early warning systems, and contribute to mitigating related risks. </p><p>This work focuses on the characteristics and spatiotemporal variability of extreme precipitation events of large spatial coverage across the Mediterranean region. The study uses the ERA5 dataset, the latest, state of the art, reanalysis dataset from Copernicus/ECMWF. Initially, exploratory analysis is performed to assess the different characteristics at various subdomains within the study area. Furthermore, composite analysis is used to understand the connection of extreme events with large-scale atmospheric patterns. Finally, the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis is implemented to quantify the importance of weather regimes with respect to the frequency of extreme precipitation events. </p><p>Preliminary results indicate that there is a spatial division in the occurrence of identified events. Winter and autumn are the seasons of the highest frequency of extreme precipitation for the east and west Mediterranean respectively. Troughs and cut-off lows in the lower and middle-level troposphere have a strong association with such extreme events, and the effect is modulated by other parameters, such as local orography. Results of this work are in accordance with previous studies in the region and provide information that can be utilized by future research for improving the predictability of such events in the medium- and extended-range forecasts. </p><p>This work is part of the Climate Advanced Forecasting of sub-seasonal Extremes (CAFE) project. The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 813844.</p>

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