Funded by DG ECHO, the BORIS 2 project (Cross BOrder RISk assessment for increased prevention and preparedness in Europe: way forward) aims to develop a methodology for multi-risk assessment, focusing on seismic and flood risks at an urban scale, intended for emergency management. This methodology is applied in three pilot sites at the borders of Italy-Slovenia and Austria-Slovenia, and in Montenegro. The project builds on the results achieved with the BORIS, introducing three key innovations: the scale of analysis, now urban instead of municipal; the objective of the analysis, now impact scenarios to support emergency planning instead of risk assessments; and the identification of new elements, previously focused on population and residential buildings, now expanded to include strategic structures, coordination and assistance facilities, and critical infrastructures, essential for emergency management. Expanding on the concept of the Emergency Limit Condition proposed by the Italian Civil Protection Department for seismic risk, which aims to verify the physical efficiency of the emergency system in urban settlements, BORIS2 proposes combined seismic and flood risk assessments that can be applied in cross-border regions, providing a shared methodology for various risks and countries. Additionally, BORIS2 aims to propose a replicable and exportable procedure for other cross-border contexts.
Exposure, hazard, and vulnerability data implemented in the analyses, along with the results for both single and multi-risk assessments, are incorporated into the BORIS platform. This platform, a result of the previous project, is enhanced with the innovations of the current methodology , becoming a tool for visualizing assessments and supporting emergency planning and management at a municipal scale.
The project’s results and dissemination activities will be designed and implemented to be integrated and shared through the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network (UCPKN) platform, ensuring knowledge sharing and capacity building in managing risks from natural phenomena.
CIMA Research Foundation’s contribution
CIMA Research Foundation, participating in the project as a member of the Italian Centre for Research on Risk Reduction (CI3R), focuses primarily on two aspects. The first involves analyzing available data and needs for implementing hazard, exposure, and vulnerability models adopted in each country for urban-scale risk assessments, both for single and multi-risk perspectives, a fundamental step at the project’s outset. The second aspect concerns flood risk specifically, where the foundation is dedicated to developing a harmonized methodology among the countries, consistent with the expected results for seismic risk, introducing new elements and necessary insights to achieve the objectives of BORIS 2.
