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Experts in natural hazards and emergency management gathered in Barcelona for a new edition of the CSIC Cicerón event.
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The event highlighted the importance of cooperation in designing response protocols for natural hazards by involving all relevant stakeholders from the outset.
Attendees of the CSIC’s “Itinerario Cicerón” held at IDAEA in collaboration with IGME
Natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, wildfires and droughts are part of the Earth’s natural processes. However, their impact has intensified in recent years due to factors such as climate change, deforestation and population growth.
To address the main consequences of these events and bring together expertise from different fields to minimise their impact, the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) and the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), both part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), hosted a new edition of the Cicerón Itineraries in Barcelona. The initiative aims to connect science with public administrations, companies and journalists in order to foster synergies around shared challenges.
The event, led by Joan Martí and Inés Galindo from IDAEA and IGME respectively, featured presentations by researchers Ethel Eljarrat (IDAEA), Xavier Querol (IDAEA), María Charco (IGEO), Carlos Garrido (IACT), Gemma Ercilla (ICM) and Félix López (CENIM), who showcased different projects and research lines related to natural hazards. Other representatives from these research institutes also attended, alongside members of public bodies such as Civil Protection, the Military Emergencies Unit (UME), the Insurance Compensation Consortium, the Catalan Meteorological Service (Meteocat), the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET), the Office of Science and Technology of the Spanish Congress of Deputies (Oficina C), and insurance companies such as Zurich. The event was also attended by the CSIC delegate in Catalonia, Luis Calvo, and Javier Maira, coordinator of CSIC’s Knowledge Transfer Office.
“In natural hazard management, it is essential to integrate all the factors around us, adopt a multi-hazard approach and, above all, focus our efforts on prevention,” said Joan Martí, organiser of the event and head of the Natural Risk Assessment and Management Service (NRAMS) at IDAEA.
As part of the itinerary, participants visited four IDAEA services, where they learned about the scientific and technical capabilities used by the institute to measure anthropogenic pollutants present in the environment. In the event of an accident or natural disaster, these pollutants can pose an additional threat to human health and ecosystems.
Visit to the IDAEA-CSIC Groundwater and Hydrogeochemistry Laboratory during “Itinerario Cicerón”, led by researchers Anna Jurado and Marc Teixidó
Participants then attended a session featuring six projects selected from the Cicerón programme, developed by different research groups from the participating centres. The session was followed by an open discussion aimed at sharing ideas, concerns and perspectives to improve institutional coordination and strengthen cooperation between the scientific community and emergency managers.
Research and innovation in natural hazard management
Ethel Eljarrat, Director of IDAEA-CSIC, discussed how floods can mobilise pollutants present in water and soils and even release persistent contaminants trapped in sediments, a problem that is equally relevant but often less well known.
“With an event such as the Valencia DANA, contaminants trapped in sediments resurface, meaning that we can find compounds that have not been used for decades.”
Digital twins are becoming increasingly valuable tools in volcanology. María Charco, researcher at the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO-CSIC-UCM), explained how they can be used to reproduce, analyse and predict the behaviour of real-world physical systems.
“With a sound understanding of the underlying physics and the proper integration of observational data, simple digital models can provide results that are just as useful as those obtained from more complex models.”
She also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence for designing risk mitigation plans and supporting informed decision-making.
Xavier Querol, researcher at IDAEA-CSIC, addressed poor air quality as a major risk intensified by climate change, noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around seven million deaths worldwide each year are linked to exposure to particulate matter. At the institute, air quality is continuously monitored in order to alert public health authorities to episodes such as Saharan dust intrusions, allowing prevention mechanisms to be activated in time.
“We have observed that, particularly in the Mediterranean region, there are days when particle concentrations increase due to Saharan dust events, wildfires, ozone and heatwaves, resulting in a greater impact on health.”
Visit to the IDAEA-CSIC air quality monitoring stations during “Itinerario Cicerón”
Natural hydrogen, an emerging energy resource, was the focus of Carlos Garrido’s presentation, researcher at the Andalusian Earth Sciences Institute (IACT-CSIC). He described the geological processes behind its formation and discussed the opportunities and uncertainties surrounding its potential impacts, given that its exploration is still at a very early stage, providing an opportunity to anticipate and plan for future risks.
“The good news is that this resource is generated through a completely natural, harmless process and produces no waste of any kind.”
Gemma Ercilla, researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), stressed the need to move from a single-hazard perspective to a multi-hazard approach in natural hazard studies, as it provides more realistic scenarios and accounts for the fact that cascading events can amplify impacts.
“Thanks to the results of our project, we are developing a multi-hazard map that will allow us to identify the different potential hazards present in a given area.”
Finally, Félix Antonio López, researcher at the National Centre for Metallurgical Research (CENIM-CSIC), presented an innovative solution for solidifying the sludge generated during the Valencia DANA in order to facilitate clean-up operations and minimise the environmental impact of sludge disposal on aquatic ecosystems.
“Through a public-private R&D&I collaboration, we manufacture urban furniture and paving stones that are used in the reconstruction of affected areas, demonstrating the technological and environmental value of these materials.”
Science, prevention and coordination in the face of natural hazards
Discussion on the management and prevention of natural hazards during the IDAEA and IGME “Itinerario Cicerón”. From left to right: Juan Otero (Zurich), Joan Martí (IDAEA), Inés Galindo (IGME) and José Luis Roscales (Oficina C)
The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding emergency management as a continuous cycle in which recovery after an event helps strengthen prevention and response to future incidents. Participants agreed on the need to enhance cooperation among the scientific community, public administrations, emergency managers and the insurance sector. They also emphasised the value of scientific advice, new simulation tools and risk maps for improving decision-making. In addition, they underlined the role of education and public awareness, as well as the need to create more spaces for dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and institutions.
The event demonstrated CSIC’s potential to contribute to the assessment and management of natural hazards through collaboration among specialised research centres. It also helped strengthen links between researchers, public administrations and other key stakeholders, fostering synergies to address more effectively the challenges associated with natural hazards and environmental quality.
