Hazards, risk, and impacts

In the face of increasing and redistributed exposures (populations and assets concentrated in ever-larger urban environments, critical and interconnected networks and structures…), understanding natural hazards and associated risks requires a better grasp of their triggering processes (e.g., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, gravity-driven movements…), their impacts on target areas (e.g., propagation and extent), and the physical and human characterization of exposed assets in the broad sense (e.g., populations, structures and infrastructures, activities, cultural heritage…). The scientific challenges addressed at ISTerre focus both on the characterization of triggering physical and mechanical processes, the spatio-temporal evaluation and critical state of natural hazards, and exposure models over their life cycle; including tectonic, gravitational, and climatic forcings; or on the detection of precursors. This theme naturally extends to societal consequences (e.g., economic, human, intangible, and institutional in the broad sense) to contribute to transdisciplinary reflections in response to the emergence of non-stationary climatic forcing and the improvement of societal resilience in a changing environment. In line with the UGE governing authority’s project, particular attention will be given to this issue in urban environments.