November 5th, 2015 – While Italy is still taking stock of the damages caused by the bad weather in the fragile territory of Calabria (where all municipalities reported having territories at risk of landslides and floods), Florence has become a beacon of good news that has to do with research and disaster management. The University of Florence will give its scientific contribution to the project “Carismand,” funded by the European Innovation Horizon 2020 instrument and focused on relations between culture, risk perception, and management of natural and man-made disasters. The overall objective of the project – as stated on the website of the University of Florence – is to improve the policies implemented in case of disasters, identifying the weaknesses of procedures, develop a toolkit that will allow the official actors and support organizations to play a role and take practical action. From computer science to sociology, passing by anthropology and psychology, the project is characterized by a strong interdisciplinary approach, due to the participation of individuals from different backgrounds: scholars and researchers, but also technical personnel involved in intelligence activities and civil protection. The project is worth over €3.7 million and is coordinated by the University of Groningen (Netherlands), with the participation of 19 partners, including the City of Florence, from eleven countries. (Red)
