The main scientific objectives of the EP RETURN, pursuant with new challenges proposed by the National Research Plan (PNR) objectives and priorities, are:
Activities
Objectives of the EP RETURN
UNDERSTAND
A better UNDERSTANDING of Environmental, Natural and Anthropic Risks, as well as their interrelation with the effect of climate change effects
ENHANCE
ENHANCE risk prevision and methodologies for prevention, adaptation and mitigation
DEVELOP
DEVELOP new methodologies/technologies for monitoring
FOSTER
FOSTER a more efficient and sustainable use of data, products and services
STRENGTHEN
STRENGTHEN the bridge from research to final products, while transversally enhancing the competences, technological transfer, and service integration
The activities are distributed over eight thematic areas, named Spokes
The overall action structure arises from the multi- and trans-disciplinary vision, favoring a continuous interaction between the different thematic areas:
Four “Vertical Spokes – VS”
have been established to gain the understanding of the dealt processes to improve the natural and anthropogenic hazard assessment, also by returning dynamic maps, developing novel and smart methodologies to assess, monitor and forecast quantitative scenarios of the effects, useful for the transversal spoke’s activities focused on the impact and strategies:
- Spoke 1 – VS1: Water (Spoke: POLIMI, Supported by UNIPD)
- Spoke 2 – VS2: Ground instabilities (Spoke: UNIROMA1, Supported by UNINA)
- Spoke 3 – VS3: Earthquakes and Volcanoes (Spoke: UNIBA, Supported by UNINA)
- Spoke 4 – VS4: Environmental Degradation (Spoke: OGS, Supported by UNIPA)
Three “Transversal Spokes – TS”
have been established to develop and exploit models able to assess and predict present and future impacts of environmental, natural and anthropogenic events. The resulting models will take into account the multi-vulnerability of exposed elements and systems with respect to multiple hazards, allowing for a robust estimation of the urban resilience and for a boosting of the potential benefits of strategies and actions in adaptation to the impacts and mitigation on the following different application fields, building an overall structure in which the specific activities of the VS will be articulated:
- Spoke 5 – TS1: Urban and metropolitan settlements (Spoke: UNINA, Supported by Eurac)
- Spoke 6 – TS2: Multi-Risk Resilience of Critical Infrastructures (Spoke: POLITO, Supported by Engineering)
- Spoke 7 – TS3: Communities’ resilience to risks: social, economic, legal and cultural dimensions (Spoke: UNIFI, Supported by CIMA)
One “Diagonal Spoke – DS”
to define innovative methodologies and proofs of concept for producing fine scale and target-oriented predictions of future climate and weather, hydrologic and marine relevant variables for risk assessment, mitigation and adaptation:
- Spoke 8 – DS: Science underpinning Climate services for risk mitigation and adaptation (Spoke: UNIBO, Supported by UNIPD)
