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Multi-risk governance for natural hazards in Naples and Guadeloupe

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Abstract

Technical and institutional capacities are strongly related and must be jointly developed to guarantee effective natural risk governance. Indeed, the available technical solutions and decision support tools influence the development of institutional frameworks and disaster policies. This paper analyses technical and institutional capacities, by providing a comparative evaluation of governance systems in Italy and France. The focus is on two case studies: Naples and Guadeloupe. Both areas are exposed to multiple hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, floods, tsunamis, fires, cyclones, and marine inundations Cascade and conjoint effects such as seismic swarms triggered by volcanic activity have also been taken into account. The research design is based on a documentary analysis of laws and policy documents informed by semi-structured interviews and focus groups with stakeholders at the local level. This leads to the identification of three sets of governance characteristics that cover the key issues of: (1) stakeholders and governance level; (2) decision support tools and mitigation measures; and (3) stakeholder cooperation and communication. The results provide an overview of the similarities and differences as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the governance systems across risks. Both case studies have developed adequate decision support tools for most of the hazards of concern. Warning systems, and the assessment of hazards and exposure are the main strengths. While technical/scientific capacities are very well developed, the main weaknesses involve the interagency communication and cooperation, and the use and dissemination of scientific knowledge when developing policies and practices. The consequences for multi-risk governance are outlined in the discussion.

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Notes

  1. In Italy, the phases are risk assessment and prevention; monitoring, early warning and prediction; emergency management and relief; recovery and reconstruction. In France, the phases are hazard assessment; prevention/preparedness; monitoring; advice on alert; alert; crisis management.

  2. As mentioned above (see Sect. 4.1), it is important to note that subsidiarity is the guiding principle for emergency management in Italy, but not for hazard, exposure and vulnerability assessment, warning system, or reconstruction and risk mitigation measures. The stakeholders’ evaluation concerning the governance level summarize the role of different authorities across disaster phases and are meant to be complementary to the evaluations regarding decision support tools and stakeholder cooperation and coordination.

  3. In this distinction, it is included a geographical dimension for the Guadeloupe case: high-intensity events as earthquakes, volcano eruptions or cyclones impacts a huge part of the territory in contrast to moderate-intensity/high-frequency events like landslides, which are in general more local.

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Acknowledgments

The work described in this paper was supported by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme through the MATRIX project—New methodologies for multi-hazard and multi-risk assessment methods for Europe [FP7/2007–2013] under Grant Agreement No 265138. The paper reflects the authors’ views and not those of the European Community. Neither the European Community nor any member of the MATRIX Consortium is liable for any use of the information in this paper. We wish to thank all the colleagues and persons who provided us with professional advice and collaboration. We are grateful to all of them and especially to the interviewees who spent their precious time discussing with us the complex architecture of risk governance in Naples and Guadeloupe. We also thank Kathryn Platzer (International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis), Kevin Fleming (German Research Center for Geosciences), and the two anonymous reviewers for helping us to further clarify the text.

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  1. Anna Scolobig

    Present address: Human-Environment Systems Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Universitätstrasse 22 CHN J72.2, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Risk, Policy and Vulnerability Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria

    Anna Scolobig, Nadejda Komendantova & Anthony Patt

  2. Human-Environment Systems Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland

    Nadejda Komendantova & Anthony Patt

  3. French Geological Survey (BRGM), Orléans & Gourbeyre, France

    Charlotte Vinchon & Daniel Monfort-Climent

  4. French Geological Survey (BRGM), Orléans & Petit-Bourg, France

    Mendy Begoubou-Valerius

  5. Center for the Analysis and Monitoring of Environmental Risk (AMRA), Naples, Italy

    Paolo Gasparini & Angela Di Ruocco

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  1. Anna Scolobig
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Correspondence to Anna Scolobig.

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Scolobig, A., Komendantova, N., Patt, A. et al. Multi-risk governance for natural hazards in Naples and Guadeloupe. Nat Hazards 73, 1523–1545 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1152-1

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