NATRISK - Enhancing risk management and resilience to natural hazards

NATRISK will develop new links, strengthen existing ties between seven research institutes and universities, and involve three public agencies. NATRISK will facilitate the exchange of researchers, practitioners, managers, and students, disseminate knowledge and expertise to municipalities and the business sector, and foster international education and research on natural hazards, risk, resilience, and associated disciplines.

The primary objective of NATRISK is to prepare students, researchers, and practitioners to solve complex problems in natural hazards and disaster risk to be better equipped to address future societal needs and increase resilience to natural hazards. This will be achieved through the joint interaction of seven research and university partners on dangers and cascading effects; risk assessment, mitigation, and management; and societal resilience. NATRISK aligns with 7 UNSDGs and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Five sub-objectives

1. Coalesce expertise from India, Brazil, and Norway on natural hazards and disaster risk.
2. Develop knowledge on the means & tools to increase societal resilience to natural hazards.
3. Build capacity with the education of tomorrow's engineering researchers.
4. Interface with public and business sectors to transfer R&D outputs, initiate spinoffs, and increase awareness.
5. Establish lasting partnerships for future research initiatives and innovation.

Natural hazards are geological, hydrological, and environmental processes that may lead to loss of life and widespread damage. Natural hazards have devastating impacts on society, affecting the population, economy, industry, cultural heritage, and the natural environment. Climate change is amplifying the risk of natural hazards to the population and infrastructure in Brazil, India, and Norway. Urbanization and new infrastructure developments in mountainous areas, partly driven by demographic expansion, increase societal exposure.

To remedy research and education needs, NATRISK identifies four pillars (sub-projects) for collective scientific advancement:

• Pillar 1 – Understanding natural hazards, multi-hazards, and cascading effects
• Pillar 2 – Quantifying and assessing risk
• Pillar 3 – Mitigating, perceiving, and communicating risk
• Pillar 4 – Managing disaster risk and enhancing resilience

These pillars are the thematic areas of collaboration and educational activities. To enhance the quality and relevance of activities for the public and business sectors, NATRISK implements an Innovation Task Force to interface with municipalities, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders.

See the Pillar section above for more information.

The NATRISK partnership consists of

Three research institutes

• Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI)
• Central Road Research Institute – Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CRRI, India)
• National Early Warning and Monitoring Centre for Natural Disasters (CEMADEN, Brazil)

Four universities

1. Department of Earth Science – University of Bergen (UiB, Norway)
2. Department of Civil Engineering – Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India (IITB)
3. Department of Earthquake Engineering – Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India (IITR)
4. Department of Civil Construction and the Department of Geography – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (UFRJ)

Three public agencies

1. Ullensvang municipality (Norway)
2. Nova Friburgo Municipality (Brazil)
3. Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC, India)

The public agencies will join the NATRISK Partners for activities in the partner countries and contribute to research and education in NATRISK with knowledge and practical experience on risk reduction and resilience to natural hazards from a municipal planning and infrastructure perspective. The public agencies will also be central in developing partnership activities to engage with and disseminate NATRISK outcomes to their local communities and businesses.

Project management

• Project manager (PM): Dr Luca Piciullo (NGI)
• Deputy project manager (DPM): Dr Amy Oen (NGI)

The PM is responsible for resource allocation, task delegation, timely availability of results, deliverables (course curricula, online modules, publications, workshops, & RCN reports), cost statements, and coordinating communication and dissemination activities. The PM will facilitate communication among Partners and across pillars.

The DPM will mentor the PM in the skills and competencies required to manage international projects. The PM & DPM will lead the NATRISK management board – consisting of representatives from each Partner, co-chair the Innovation Task Force, and coordinate quarterly meetings with the Pillar Managers. The NATRISK management board will coordinate the NATRISK conference in 2028.

Main activities and milestones (quarter and year)

Milestones                                                               From               To 

M1: Digital kickoff meeting and workshop               3-2023            3-2023
M2: Pillar 1 module - Natural hazards                       4-2023            3-2024
M3: Pillar 1 course - Natural hazards                        4-2023            3-2024 
M4: ITF Technology transfer workshop 1 (Nor)        3-2024            3-2024
M5: Pillar 2 module - Assessing risk                          4-2024            3-2025
M6: Pillar 2 course - Assessing risk                            4-2024            3-2025
M7: ITF Stakeholder short course (India)                  3-2025            3-2025
M8: Pillar 3 module - Mitigating risk                         4-2025            3-2026
M9: Pillar 3 course - Mitigating risk                           4-2025            3-2026
M10: ITF Stakeholder short course (Brazil)               3-2026            3-2026
M11: Pillar 4 module - Enhancing Resilience            4-2026            3-2027
M12: Pillar 4 course - Enhancing Resilience             4-2026            3-2027
M13: ITF Stakeholder short course (Norway)           3-2027            3-2027
M14: ITF Technology transfer workshop 2 (Nor)      3-2027            3-2027
M15: NATRISK conference                                          2-2028            2-2028
M16: Exit strategy workshop                                      2-2028            3-2028
M17: Administration and coordination                     3-2023            3-2028
M18: Reciprocal exchanges                                        3-2023            3-2028
M19: NATRISK workshops and excursions               3-2023            3-2028
M20: Conference participation and outreach          3-2023            3-2028
M21: Student internships                                           3-2023            3-2028

NATRISK will develop graduate education and training for students and practitioners with field- and research-based education models. NATRISK will be a network for researchers and students – enabling multilateral collaboration, mobility, transfers of ideas and knowledge, and the transformative development of solutions for complex problems in natural hazards, risk & related disciplines.

Planned outcomes

1. Collaborative advances in understanding natural hazards & disaster risk
2. Student & researcher development
3. Advances in strategic management of disaster risk
4. Innovative curriculum
5. Robust links between partner nations for future collaboration

Planned impact

NATRISK will impact

• The university sector, through jointly developed education packages
• Society, through improved awareness of natural hazards and the development of research-based sustainable mitigation strategies
• The scientific community, through joint research advances
• The partners, by establishing new collaborations

Dissemination

The NATRISK dissemination plan will

• Raise awareness and interest of stakeholders in the project results.
• Initiate interaction with and between partners and stakeholders to enhance research exploitation opportunities.
• Transfer new knowledge and tools through education, outreach, joint publications, conferences, and innovation.
• Ensure the applicability of the project results to business and society.

The following avenues for dissemination are planned:

DIGITAL MODULES ONLINE (M2,M5,M8,M11)
Four digital learning modules will be developed (one per pillar) and hosted on the project webpage.

COURSES
NATRISK courses will integrate research, experience, and field-based teaching and learning. The courses will target graduate students as well as researchers and practitioners for continuing education. Courses will be open to students from networks affiliated with NATRISK and the Partners. A total of four courses are planned (each course is linked to one pillar; courses will be developed and run during the first four years):

1. Natural hazards, multi-hazards, & cascading effects – hosted by UiB in Norway during 2023 (M3)
2. Quantifying & assessing risk in steep terrain– hosted by IITB & IITR in India during 2024 (M6)
3. Mitigating, perceiving, & communicating risk – hosted by UFRJ in Brazil during 2025 (M9)
4. Managing disaster risk & building resilience – hosted by NGI/UiB in Norway during 2026 (M12)

WORKSHOPS (M19)
Annual consortium workshops will be held with the NATRISK courses. NATRISK will invite experts from industry, public agencies, and other stakeholders from the host country to participate - to increase outreach, dissemination of expertise, and societal benefit. Future collaboration in research and education will be a core topic in each workshop.

An exit strategy workshop (M16; 2027) will be held to coordinate future and arising initiatives.

CONFERENCES (M20)
NATRISK will:

1. Participate in national and international conferences to publicize education packages and present research results.
2. Define sessions (1 per year) at international conferences (e.g. EGU/WLF).
3. Host a conference (M15) to present the results of the collaboration, including teaching and learning.

Participants will come from linked projects, including associated industry and public partners. Student participation will be supported with stipends.

PUBLICATIONS
NATRISK will publish the results of collaborative activities in leading journals (estimate one per reciprocal exchange; ca. 4-6 publications per year).

OUTREACH
NATRISK activities will be widely publicized through social media networks and on the project webpage. NATRISK will design and host one course on disaster risk in each of the partner countries - targeting public stakeholders (M7, M10, M13).
Two technology transfer workshops will be initiated in Norway with Oslo Science City (M4, M14).

INTERNSHIPS (M21)
NATRISK will support internships (3 per year) for students at the partner research institutes and public agencies.

Reports and publications from the NATRISK project will be listed here, with links to the material when available.