The VeTOOLS project: making easier volcanic hazard assessment and risk management.

Abstract

Making easier volcanic hazard assessment and risk management is a challenge issue that has become one of the main aims of modern volcanology. To afford it, it is necessary not only knowing the behavior of the natural volcanic process itself, but also adopting a common language between those people responsible to control and manage volcanic activity, trying to collaborate as close as possible. One of the ways to achieve this objective is to define comprehensive methodologies and to develop and make use of different tools specifically designed to conduct systematic volcanic hazard assessment and risk management in active volcanic areas. After few decades of making a great effort developing different tools for that subject, the Group of Volcanology of Barcelona (GVB, http://www.gvb-csic.es/) has started creating an integrated software platform specially designed to assess and manage volcanic hazards and risk, called VolcanBox, in the frame of the VeTOOLS project (financially supported by the European Commission. EC ECHO project SI.2.695524 (VeTOOLS) 2015-2016; http://www.vetools.eu/). This platform contains user-friendly free e-tools specifically addressed to conduct long- and short-term hazard assessment, vulnerability analysis, decision-making, and volcanic risk management. One of the project’s aims has been to facilitate the interaction and cooperation between Scientists and Civil Protection Agencies before and during volcanic crises. The idea is to share, unify, and exchange procedures, methodologies and technologies to effectively reduce the impacts of volcanic disasters by improving assessment and management of volcanic risk.