Development of a training and research activities for the study of seismic, volcanic and tsunami precursors events and psychological support to population before and after a natural event.

The objective of this project is to strengthen the level capacity for studying seismic and volcanic precursors. The goal is monitoring pilots sites through universities, research centers and governmental institutions to mitigate natural hazard and create experts through academic education in risk management and emergency's psychologies, in order to decrease vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of communities. This goal should be reached by University formation and field activities. In particular, the CNR-IGG and International Geo-hazard Research Society has been hampered in its ability to lead the national effort due to budget constraints, limited technical resources. The project will be realized in Central America region where the local structures are not sufficient to cover the needs of the countries. The initiative aims to establish an international network among Universities and Research centers around the world. The main purpose is to create specific courses of training at the University of El Salvador, University of Guatemala and University of Nicaragua on a preliminary assessment of the dangerousness of the pilots sites. Then the data will be treated for the development of risk scenarios, calibrated for the prevention and management of emergencies, with the support of improving the resilience of populations with a targeted plan to the psychology of disasters. The synergy with the psychological dimension in this project reveals the importance of the contribution to the social and psychological risk populations such as natural disasters and support in prevention. Activities will be developed concerning the impact of natural hazards on the psychology of the people. The disasters cause large-scale destruction of infrastructure and economic resources together with the loss of human lives. Local communities are often not able to cope with the emergency alone. These issues are of primary importance to the trauma and suffering that can be caused by natural events. The poverty that often characterizes the populations affected by natural disasters is often accompanied by a lack of the necessary information that can serve as a measure of prevention of natural event. The poorest populations sometimes seems normal to accept the event as "fate" and this has consequences on the relationships between people and their relationships with institutions. The disastrous episodes are part of a dense network of human relations in a social system organized responses to the crisis are a function of the "culture of emergency" own the affected system. More, therefore, a system is organized and trained better able to successfully deal with a disaster. In particular, the Italian and International intervention will be aimed at the qualification of staff in the assessment of volcanic hazard, made of two parallel lines: a) courses in the laboratory and in the field in order to be able to use methods and tools for analysis and monitoring geological, geophysical and geochemical also working on a plan for data processing and transmission, and learning how to build and improve maps of scenery; b) courses in the laboratory and in the field to apply the most current methods of psychology of disasters in order to improve the resilience of populations living in areas at risk. The multidisciplinary nature of the project makes it complex, establishing a large impact towards civil society in its totality, involving research institutes, universities, public and population. To this end, the project will be divided into several thematic lines divided into areas of responsibility: - Training activities for which responsibility will be by the CNR-IGG. - Preliminary assessment of seismic and volcanic hazard at the pilots sites. The responsibility for which technical-scientific and practical application will be by IGRS. - Activities of professional training on data analysis of monitoring and management of networks, whose scientific responsibility will be by IGRS. - Activities of professional training on data analysis of geochemical monitoring, whose responsibility will be by the scientific IGRS. - Training activities in the field of counselling, whose responsibility will be borne by the scientific CNR-IGG. Students trained to be able to continue the project terminated, independently in the activities of hazard assessment, managing and interpreting data that they themselves will have to obtain by means of sampling and laboratory analysis. Students and technicians trained on emergency psychology should be able to design a preliminary strategy for communication and psychological support to the people, both before and after the natural disaster.