Extreme hydro-meteorological events, such as inland flooding, coastal storms and severe water scarcity, have major social, economic and environmental impacts. These adverse impacts may be exacerbated by climate change.
It is therefore important to better understand extreme events and water security challenges, and to take action to reduce increasing risks. In particular, there is a need to adopt strategies to increase the resilience of cities and critical infrastructure.The aim of the LNEC Lisbon Conference 2023 is to discuss how the research community, in collaboration with local authorities and citizens, can contribute with tools and solutions to address these water-related challenges.
Urban societies are growing in complexity, leading to a rise of interdependence between various sectors and systems. Densely populated urban areas, with concentrated infrastructure and economic activities, are at greater risk of adverse impacts from natural hazards, such as geohazards.
Severe geohazards may trigger cascading effects across and within regions and sectors, amplifying critical vulnerabilities. They transcend geographical boundaries while crippling networked infrastructure that sustains urban regions, revealing the systemic risk posed by such events.
Improving societal resilience to major geohazard risks involves recognising and addressing their inherent uncertain and systemic nature. Current risk management practices that are primarily concentrated on specific sectors and assets would benefit from further development to achieve more comprehensive approaches. This entails drawing insights from different disciplines, experiences, and perspectives, as envisaged during the 2024 LNEC Lisbon Conference.