Science-policy-practice insights for compound and multi-hazard risks

Lou Brett*, Hannah C. Bloomfield, Anna Bradley, Adrian Champion, Silvia De Angeli, Marleen C. de Ruiter, Selma B. Guerreiro, John Hillier, David Jaroszweski, Bahareh Kamranzad, Minna M. Keinänen-Toivola, Kai Kornhuber, Katharina Küpfer, Colin Manning, Kanzis Mattu, Ellie Murtagh, Virginia Murray, Áine Ní Bhreasail, Fiachra O'Loughlin, Chris ParkerMaria Pregnolato, Alexander M. Ramos , Julius Schlumberger, Dimitria Theochari, Philip Ward, Anke Wessels, Christopher J. White

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

When multiple weather-driven hazards such as heatwaves, droughts, storms or floods occur simultaneously or consecutively, their impacts on society and the environment can compound. Despite recent advances in compound event research, risk assessments by practitioners and policymakers remain predominantly single-hazard focused. This is largely due to traditional siloed approaches that assess and manage natural hazards. Hence, there is a need to adopt a more ‘multi-hazard approach’ to managing compound events in practice. This paper summarizes discussions from a 2-day workshop, held in Glasgow in January 2023, which brought together scientists, practitioners and policymakers to: (1) exchange a shared understanding of the concepts of compound and multi-hazard events; (2) learn from examples of science–policy–practice integration from both the single hazard and multi-hazard domains; and (3) explore how success stories could be used to improve the management of compound events and multi-hazard risks. Key themes discussed during the workshop included developing a common language, promoting knowledge co-production, fostering science–policy–practice integration, addressing complexity, utilising case studies for improved communication and centralising information for informed research, tools and frameworks. By bringing together experts from science, policy and practice, this workshop has highlighted ways to quantify compound and multi-hazard risks and synergistically incorporate them into policy and practice to enhance risk management.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere70043
Number of pages15
JournalMeteorological Applications
Volume32
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Apr 2025

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge support for the workshop from the European COST Action DAMOCLES (CA17109). LB was supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) [EP/T517938/1]. CJW was supported by the European Union's Horizon Europe ‘Multi-hazard and risk informed system for enhanced local and regional disaster risk management (MEDiate)’ project under grant agreement no. 101074075. JH was funded by grants ROBUST (NE/V018698/1) and HYDRA (NE/X009947/1). MCdR received support from the MYRIAD-EU project, which received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101003276. MCdR also received support from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) (VENI; grant no. VI.Veni.222.169). JS was supported in this research by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant 101003276) as part of the MYRIAD-EU project. HCB and SBG were grateful for support via a Newcastle University Academic Track (NUAcT) Fellowship. AMR was supported by the Helmholtz ‘Changing Earth’ Program. CM was supported by UKRI NERC funded project STORMY-WEATHER (NE/V004166/1). PW was supported by HORIZON 2020 MYRIAD-EU Project, with funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme call H2020-LC-CLA-2018-2019-2020 under grant agreement number 101003276. PW also received support from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) in the form of a VIDI grant (grant no. 016.161.324).

Keywords

  • compound events
  • multi-hazards
  • multi-hazard risks
  • risk management
  • science–policy–practice

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Science-policy-practice insights for compound and multi-hazard risks'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this