Introduction
Applied multi Risk Mapping of Natural Hazards for Impact Assessment
The ARMONIA project developed a new approach to producing integrated multi-risk maps to achieve more effective spatial planning procedures in areas prone to natural disasters in Europe. This work was funded by the European Community under the Sixth Framework Programme.
The project ran from October 2004 to March 2007 and was awarded a grant of over €1 million. ARMONIA involved 13 European partners from seven countries, including Dr. Fiona Tweed from Staffordshire University’s Institute for Environment Sustainabilty and Regeneration (IESR).
Background and context
The threat of disaster from natural hazards is intensifying worldwide, with the increasing inhabitation of marginal land emphasising potential hazard impacts.The backdrop of climate change, global warming and the apparent escalation of flooding, storms and earthquakes across the globe has raised the profile of natural hazards research in the media.
Natural disasters generated by floods, earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions are typical examples of people living in conflict with the environment. The vulnerability of populated areas to natural disaster is partly a consequence of decades of spatial planning policies that have failed to take adequate account of hazards and risks in land-use zoning and development decisions.
Many different hazard and risk assessment methodologies are used across Europe, different terminology and risk mapping practices are applied between countries and between types of hazard and only marginal consideration is typically given to natural hazards and spatial planning.
It is critically important to develop more effective methodologies and tools for incorporating natural disaster reduction into spatial planning. Research at Staffordshire University has been responding to this agenda through involvement in the project Applied multi Risk Mapping of Natural Hazards for Impact Assessment (ARMONIA)
Summary of project research
ARMONIA examined different case studies and different experiences of current risk mapping in Europe, examining land-use planning and management in areas exposed to natural hazards. The project then developed an approach to multi-risk mapping with the end-users of such mapping in mind (e.g. land-use planners, policy makers, local and national government).One of the key outputs of the project was the design of the architecture for Multi-Risk Land-Use Management Support System (MURLUMSS). This tool maps and visualises information on up to 5 different natural hazards and risks as well as different forms of vulnerability and coping capacity at both regional and local levels. It enables different scenarios to be run, which generate information about hazards, vulnerabilities and risks for specific areas of land that are of interest, so that different options for mitigating risks, reducing vulnerabilities or developing land can be compared.
Critically MURLUMSS also enables scenarios to be run which compare hazards, risks and vulnerabilities under different modelled climate change conditions.
MURLUMMS provides a knowledge base on hazards, risk and vulnerabilities and on the various approaches that can be taken to mitigate risks through land-use management decisions.The methodology was tested at a regional scale in a case-study area, composed of 21 municipalities belonging to Florence, Arezzo and Prato Provinces in the Tuscany Region of Italy. The development of multi-scale, multi-risk and multi-vulnerability characteristics in ARMONIA significantly extend current practice on DSS development for natural hazard and land-use management.
Project impact
ARMONIA has made a significant contribution towards more effective natural disaster prevention and mitigation.