Deadline: 23-Nov-21
The European Commission (EC) is offering grants for improving understanding of risk exposure and its public awareness in areas exposed to multi-hazards.
The awareness of multiple hazards and the understanding and the assessment of risks and their consequences is a critical and fundamental step towards the development of local, national and international policies and strategies within all phases of the disaster risk management cycle, in particular preparedness.
The availability of reliable scientific data and information (including historical occurrences and climate projections) to anticipate future disaster events or crisis situations, considering uncertainties inherent to natural systems characterization, and effectively support decision-making processes at all levels represents a global challenge for both the research community and governance institutions.
Actions at national/local and global/regional levels rely on knowledge of risks in all its dimension and changeable nature.
A strengthened understanding of risks by the population (and decision-makers) is needed, based on both records of past events and forecasts and projections (with quantified uncertainties) that reflect consideration of evolving trends and dynamics over time and space.
This is particularly acute in the case of multi-hazard risks, i.e. occurrences of several disasters either in cascade or at once.
Moreover, the work needs to be complemented with improved knowledge on how risk awareness and actions are influenced and shaped by diverse aspects such as past events, cultures and traditions.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
Projects results are expected to contribute to some of following outcomes:
- Advanced disaster / crisis simulations and impact assessments supporting decision-making processes based on best available knowledge, adaptive strategies and methodologies, including accurate exposure data and adequate vulnerability assessments, quantitative hazard information with comparable metrics across different risks (especially addressing multi-hazard situations), including disaster loss data and qualitative information issued from historical testimonies and case studies.
- Risk and resilience assessment solutions, studies and outputs in support of long-term multi-hazard management strategies (e.g. climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction and prevention and mitigation strategies) with a focus on vulnerable regions prone to multiple hazard occurrences, involving interdisciplinary teams in different scientific and technological fields (such as geology, climate, man-made hazards, critical infrastructures and assets, history, health sciences, economics and social sciences).
- This requires novel interdisciplinary risk approaches to assessing human-hazard interactions, and reaching the most vulnerable segments of the community.
- Advanced data management, information update and forecast / early warning systems (including via satellite and in-situ observation) in support of evolving public understanding and decision-making needs in the field of multi-hazard preparedness policy and planning, taking into account data uncertainties and including the determination of baseline scenarios and corresponding risk thresholds, as well as data potentially available (e.g. from surveys, earth observations, historic databases, academic and business/private sector repositories, climate projections, etc.) and near-real-time impact simulations combined with data-farming approaches.
- Communication and dissemination platforms supporting an increased dialogue and cooperation between scientific, technological, practitioners, policy-makers, private sector (e.g. insurers), NGOs, citizens and community-based organisations for sharing and building-up the knowledge of hazards and related risks for a comprehensive awareness (and preparedness) of the risk at all levels (risk memory and implementation of lessons learnt into policy actions), taking into account various uncertainties that may affect decision-making.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States;
- eligible non-EU countries:
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3qYFZw5