This is my BIP programme: Quantifying vulnerability to natural hazards experiences!

Quantifying vulnerability to natural hazards in changing climate patterns

New perspectives and methods

In April 2025, I participated in a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) hosted by the University of Bucharest, focusing on "Quantifying Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Changing Climate Patterns: New Perspectives and Methods". This program combined virtual sessions with a field component in Romania, offering a comprehensive understanding of vulnerability assessment.

Virtual component

Over five weeks, during the month of March, we engaged in weekly sessions covering topics such as:

Vulnerability in the Age of the Anthropocene

Dynamics of Geohazards and Disasters in Fragile Landscapes

Sea Level Changes and Adaptation Methods

Increasing Resilience of Landscapes and Communities to Climate Change Impacts

Social Vulnerability in Coastal Environments

Climatic and Tectonic Signals in Landscape Evolution

Changing Geohazards in Response to Tectonic and Climatic Forcing

State of the Climate

These sessions featured experts from various disciplines, including climate change, geomorphology, engineering, psychology, sociology and anthropology, providing a holistic view of vulnerabilities.

Field Experience in the Vrancea Seismic Region

So we could finally put on practice what we have been learning, from the 7th to the 11th of April, the was accompanied by five lecturers. The field component took place in Bucharest and Vrancea region.

Day 1 – Bucharest Kickoff

Our journey began in Bucharest, where we were introduced to the region's geological setting through lectures focused on geomorphological processes. Later, we explored the city on foot, observing how structural retrofitting has been applied to buildings still vulnerable to seismic activity—a legacy of the devastating 1977 earthquake. On this same day we drove to Vrancea region

Day 2 – Into the Vrancea Seismic Zone

We headed to Pătârlagele, located in the heart of the Vrancea seismic region. The day’s field stops included a shallow landslide developed in the molasse formations of the Subcarpathians, followed by a visit to a reservoir site where human-induced slope instability had become evident due to construction activities.

Day 3 – Multi-Hazard Landscapes

Our morning began with a visit to a site affected by a landslide triggered by seismic activity—an example of how one hazard can lead to another. In the afternoon, we hiked through an area recently shaped by mudflows, discussing strategies for predicting and managing such climate-related events.

Day 4 – Risk at the Local Scale

We explored a nearby village on foot, comparing different styles of residential buildings, which highlighted clear contrasts in structural vulnerability. Later, we visited active mud volcanoes and reflected on the complications that arise when attempting disaster risk reduction in protected or environmentally sensitive areas.

Day 5 – Presenting Our Insights

On our final day, we worked in small teams to present our impact chain models, integrating what we had observed throughout the week. We wrapped up the fieldwork with a visit to the Natural Hazards Research Center in Pătârlagele, where researchers shared insights into their ongoing projects. That evening, we returned to Bucharest.

Impact Chain

During the field work week we gained experience on how to construct an impact chain. Bellow you can see our final result concerning an earthquake on Valea Lupului village.

BIP Certificate