Environmental risk management

Learning objectives

The course aims to promote knowledge of the main models, methods and evaluation criteria for the analysis of problems characterized by different types of environmental and territorial risk, to illustrate the regulatory, methodological and technical-scientific reference framework and to illustrate the theories and techniques of strategic planning both at public and private level.

The objective of the course is to make the recipient acquire the essential knowledge relating to the organization and management of complex structures and systems aimed at ensuring environmental and territorial safety in the broadest and most diverse meanings and declinations.

The training course also provides for the carrying out of seminars, internships and apprenticeships at institutions, bodies, universities, organizations, structures and companies in the sector.

Course content

Environmental and territorial risk is, on a global level, increasingly characterized by the presence of multiple natural risks but also by the presence of various causes of anthropic risk.

Among the natural hazards we can include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods, landslides, coastal erosion, subsidence, water crises and avalanches, while within the man-made risks we can include the risk due to forest and interface fires, the technological-industrial risk and nuclear energy, environmental risk, health risk, critical infrastructure risk, urban crisis risk and crime, terrorism and war risk.

The mitigation of these risk profiles sees, as key elements, the optimization of the prevention, mitigation and contrast actions of the consequences, the monitoring and control of the infrastructures and the territory, the knowledge of the characteristics of vulnerability and systemic criticality, the adoption of suitable emergency and contingency plans, the increase of resilience capacities, the implementation of public/private participatory security policies and the correct management of information.

For this reason, especially in the field of engineering, professionals with innovative skills and abilities in the fields of analysis and study of scenarios, strategies, techniques, methodologies, tools, systems and technologies characterizing the field of environmental and territorial risks. These figures must also be able to support the activities carried out by institutions, bodies and organizations, both public and private, operating in the field of man-made and natural risks and to carry out research and innovation activities in the fields of forecasting, prevention, response and management of the damages.

Program

General Part
Reference to the concept of risk - Definition of risk (hazardousness, elements at risk, vulnerability, specific risk, total risk) - Perception of risk - Concept of acceptable risk - Comparison between different approaches to risk - Methodological approach to risk - Risk matrix - Qualitative and quantitative risk analysis - Risk management - Risk communication - Types of risk associated with territorial protection and security activities: "traditional" types and new scenarios - Analysis of precursors and monitoring networks associated with some types of risk - Analysis of the main components of the operating system for territorial protection and security - Analysis of the organizational aspects of the emergency coordination structures - Concept of emergency: the systemic complexity - Socio-systemic vulnerability Definition of Emergency Plans (purposes and limits) - Analysis of the territory and protection planning one and territorial security - The administrative profile - The physical-territorial profile - The distribution of the population - The service networks - The urban context - The strategic buildings - The safe areas - The cartographic tools (topography and GIS georeferenced information systems).

Outlines of Planning and Management
The emergency cycle - Risk analysis - Criticality analysis - Vulnerability analysis - Planning - Information - Training - Organization and management of human, technological and instrumental resources - Alarm - Technical assistance - Medical assistance - Public order - Essential services - Reports with the Mass Media – Assistance – Reconstruction – Funding and grants.

Validation and Update in Planning Activities
Periodic update - Implementation of exercises - Information to the population - Activation of a plan and related interventions - Verification of a Plan.

Risk Mitigation Measures
Territorial management: structural and non-structural interventions - Monitoring of phenomena - Implementation and management of information systems for territorial protection and security - Use of crisis/emergency planning in exercises.

Model of Intervention
Intervention procedures for the various types of risk – Intervention model and operational decision-making structures – The operations room – Support functions – Delimitation of risk areas – Crowding areas – Hospitalization areas.

Bibliography

Handouts by the teacher