Anna Derkacheva, Researcher of the International Laboratory of Landscape Ecology, Took Part in the Conference of the European Society for Risk Analysis in Athens
In the beginning of June 2024, the annual conference of the European Society for Risk Analysis was held in Athens, organized by the Faculty of Geography of the Charokopio University of Athens (Greece).
The event, which lasted several days, covered issues not only of natural hazards, which are traditional for meetings of the geographical community. The sessions also focused on risk communication, social and individual perceptions, economic and social impacts, adaptation strategies and management policies. It is the diversity of points of view and the focus of discussions that Anna highlights: "I came with a presentation about the modern mudflow hazard for a tailings site created half a century ago in the Gizhgit valley in the Caucasus. The work is based solely on the geographical range of the analyzed issues. The topics of conference presentations, from sociology to law, took me out of the usual rut and let think about the related questions. For example, how does the lack of trust to the government and other institutions define the population vulnerability to natural disasters? Why do people choose passive waiting when they know about a risk and have various self-protection options? Where is the borderline between preventive protection and coercion displacement for different mentalities, if it is necessary to relocate people from a dangerous area? The acquired experience will definitely be used in my further work. "