Scientific Areas

1. Theoretical, Methodological and Ethical Foundations
  • The concept of risk in history and across scientific disciplines.
  • Systemic and complex risks: spatial, temporal, and social dimensions.
  • Risk determinants: exposure, hazard, vulnerability, resilience, adaptive capacity.
  • Uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity in risk assessment.
  • Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods in risk research.
  • Risk ethics and the limits of expert knowledge.
2. Risk Assessment, Mapping, and Modelling
  • Innovative risk assessment methods in dynamic contexts.
  • Spatial and temporal risk analysis models.
  • Databases and GIS applications in risk studies.
  • Scenario analysis, probabilistic modelling, and sensitivity analysis.
  • Participatory risk assessment and local knowledge.
  • Assessment of emerging risks, interdependencies, and cascading effects.
3. Risk Management and Disaster Risk Reduction
  • The risk management cycle: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
  • Risk-informed spatial and land-use planning.
  • Risk management in urban and rural settings.
  • Legal frameworks and public policies for DRR.
  • Integration of risk management into climate action and the SDGs.
  • Institutional coordination and multi-level risk governance.
4. Risk Perception, Communication, and Governance
  • Social perception of risk: cultural, emotional, and cognitive factors.
  • Risk communication in uncertain and conflictive contexts.
  • Social media, traditional media, and misinformation during crises.
  • Collaborative risk governance: public participation and deliberation.
  • Case studies on territorial risk governance in Europe and beyond.
  • Risk, institutional trust, and public decision-making.
5. Social Dimensions of Risk, Justice, and Vulnerability
  • Risk and inequality: social, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities.
  • Intersectional risk analysis: gender, age, ethnicity, disability, social class.
  • Environmental justice, climate justice, and risk justice.
  • Protection of vulnerable groups in risk management.
  • Risk cultures, social acceptability, and collective values.
  • Differential impacts of risk on health, education, housing, and mobility.
6. Technological, Digital, and Infrastructure-Related Risks
  • Risks associated with emerging technologies (AI, automation, nanotechnology, etc.).
  • Cybersecurity and protection of critical infrastructures.
  • Risk assessment and management in industrial, energy, and transport systems.
  • Safety and resilience in autonomous, digital, and interconnected systems.
  • Technological risks in urban, rural, and coastal contexts.
  • Early warning systems, sensors, and smart monitoring technologies.
7. Environmental and Climatic Hazards
  • Climate change-related risks: heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods.
  • Geophysical, meteorological, hydrological, and climatic hazards.
  • Vulnerable ecosystems and ecosystem services at risk.
  • Natural hazard management in coastal, mountain, and urban areas.
  • Integrating climate change adaptation into territorial planning.
  • Biodiversity, natural resources, and ecological resilience.
8. Health, Human Security, and Socioeconomic Risks
  • Public health risks: pandemics, pollution, emerging diseases.
  • Food security and risks in supply chains.
  • Occupational risk and workplace safety.
  • Risk impacts on displaced or migrant communities.
  • Risks linked to economic crises, inflation, precariousness, and exclusion.
  • Global and local risks in contexts of conflict, war, and forced displacement.
9. Risk Education, Competence Development, and Risk Culture
  • Formal and informal risk education at all levels.
  • Professional training and competence development in risk analysis.
  • Risk prevention culture and institutional learning after crises.
  • Capacity building and educational initiatives in resilient communities.
  • Citizen science, risk literacy, and community empowerment.
10. Sectoral Applications and Case Studies
  • Risk in specific sectors: energy, water, transport, food, tourism.
  • Case studies on risk analysis, management, or communication in local contexts.
  • Sectoral public policy applications of risk analysis.
  • Knowledge transfer from science to professional and institutional practice.
  • Public-private partnerships in complex risk management.
  • Collaborative projects and social innovation in risk reduction.