Preface: Approaches and methods to improve risk management in volcanic areas

Active volcanoes can generate multiple types of
geological hazards. Besides syneruptive threats (e.g., lava,
pyroclastic flows or ash fall), other adverse events such as
landslides or lahars can occur at any time. To manage these
threats efficiently, three key objectives must be jointly addressed:
(1) improving prevention tools, through the collection
and acquisition of data on hazards and risks, and
its dissemination as maps and scenarios; (2) improving crisis
management capabilities, based on monitoring and early
warning systems, but also reliable communications systems;
and (3) reducing people’s vulnerability and developing recovery
and resilience capabilities after an event has occurred.
The special issue “Approaches and methods to improve
risk management in volcanic areas” presents research
results focusing on these three objectives. It demonstrates
the utility of addressing them jointly, and particularly examines
the case of volcanoes where little knowledge is available.
These results were presented at the conference Integrated
Approaches for Volcanic Risk Management (Hohenheim
University, Stuttgart, 11/12 September 2012) of the European
MIAVITA (MItigate and Assess risk from Volcanic
Impact on Terrain and human Activities) project.

This special issue has been supported by the
MIAVITA project, financed by the European Commission under the
7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development,
Area “Environment”, Activity 6.1 “Climate Change, Pollution
and Risks”.We thank the NHESS editors and supporting staff
for hosting this special issue. We also thank all participants to the
MIAVITA project for their contributions, and Chris Newhall for
very useful advice. We are grateful to the referees for reviewing the
papers of this special issue, whose time and work contributed considerably
to the quality of the paper. Finally, we thank Stephen Conway
for proofreading this preface.

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