About

Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. (JUH) is a German non-profit organisation dedicated to excellence in medical care, emergency medical services, civil protection and disaster relief. The JUH is active throughout Germany and is part of the international Order of St John.
JUH is one of the four statutory organisations that form the backbone of the German ambulance service and medical civil protection system. Its core competencies are rescue and ambulance services, mobile care activities, home alarm services and disaster relief.
On an international level, Johanniter International Assistance ( is active in various areas and phases of disaster relief and humanitarian aid, with core competencies in primary health care, rehabilitation of people with disabilities, and disaster preparedness. In June 2017, the Johanniter Emergency Medical Team (EMT) became the first EMT 1 mobile unit worldwide to be classified under the EMT initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Competence Center for European Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (EUCC) is a department within the JUH, acting as a Focal Point for EU affairs in the context of civil protection. With the EUCC, the JUH has actively been involved in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) since 2006 (e.g. providing response assets and disaster response experts for UCPM missions, conducting trainings/exercises, providing trainers and lecturers). The EUCC is in charge of mostly international projects in the field of civil protection and disaster management. In projects, the EUCC takes on the role of project coordinator, work package leader and/or end-user, e.g. validating new technologies and methods developed in the projects. Through the EUCC, the JUH has been the coordinating beneficiary of multiple projects of the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO).

Role in the project

JUH has several roles in AGILE. On the one hand. JUH is an end-user and has a practitioner perspective with the lead of WP4. On the other hand. JUH is the project coordinator and focuses on good collaboration, timelines and exchange between scientists and practitioners.

JUH, as the Coordinator of the AGILE Consortium, oversees the effective achievement of the project objectives and will be involved in the majority of the tasks within the project. Together with the Scientific Lead of the project, ensure the collaboration and exchange between scientists and practitioners. We aim to involve stakeholders within the JUH and the civil protection community of Germany and beyond to ensure a high representation of the end-user perspective. JUH will lead and facilitate the implementation of the tier 1 stress tests with various project partners and stakeholders from all over Europe. In that regard, JUH will host the stress-test related to the rescEU EMT, the first pan-European field hospital consisting of 20 specialised teams.

About

In 2014, an update of the legal framework (Government Emergency Ordinance 1/2014) led to the creation of the Department for Emergency Situations within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Department is an operational structure without legal personality, responsible for the national coordination of emergency prevention and management actions. It oversees the provision and coordination of human, material, financial, and other resources required to restore normality. This includes specialist first aid and emergency medical care in Emergency Care Units and Centers.

The Department for Emergency Situations coordinates the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations and the General Inspectorate of Aviation (concerning medical missions). It also performs the operational coordination of county ambulance services and Bucharest–Ilfov region, Emergency Rooms from the Emergency Hospitals, and public mountain rescue services. Dr. Raed ARAFAT, Secretary of State and a medical doctor, heads the Department for Emergency Situations. He is the founder of the Romanian SMURD system (Mobile Service for Emergency, Reanimation, and Extrication), an integrated public service without legal personality, functioning within the organizational chart of inspectorates for emergencies, along with specialized personnel from emergency departments of hospitals.

DSU has extensive experience in conducting Civil Protection projects and hosted a large medical exercise in late 2018 under the framework of EU MODEX. DSU was a consortium member of the 2018 IDMEX tender (Plugin and HNS Exercises), INEGMA-E2 project, FORMATEX23 project, consortium leader for the INDIMA project, EU HNS TTX tender of DG ECHO, and many others.

Role in the project

In AGILE, DSU is planned for the implementation of Stress Test Tiers (STT) 1 and 2. Especially, the implementation of STT1-2 (Task 4.2: Implementation of STT1) and STT2-1 (Task 4.3: Implementation of STT2). This will be done by organizing tabletop exercises, for which the methodology will be developed by AGILE partners.

In addition, a member from the DSU team is nominated as part of the Security Advisory Board of the project, working together with 2 other members to fulfil the specific requirements.

About

Civil Protection in Iceland falls under the Ministry of Justice, with the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police (NCIP) leading the charge. The NCIP oversees the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management, responsible for daily administration and national coordination. They manage risk analysis, decide alert levels, and can declare a state of emergency, ensuring effective coordination and support measures to reduce risks.

At the operational level, the NCIP directs emergency operations, procuring and delivering necessary assistance for affected areas. Cutting-edge data management and risk mapping are integral to Iceland’s advanced civil protection system, facilitating disaster risk management at national, regional, and municipal levels through a web-based portal.

Within this structure, the Civil Protection and Security Council (CPSC) formulates government policy, while the Minister of Justice issues regulations. Mr. Vidir Reynisson oversees the IDCP, and the NCIP, representing Mr. Reynisson, handles alert levels, monitors measures, and heads the IDCP and National Crisis Coordination Centre (SST). The SST includes key national response bodies, ensuring effective operational and coordination actions in emergencies. Regionally, the Civil Protection Committee (CPC) oversees local responsibilities, encompassing district Police commissioners, local authority representatives, and other officials with civil protection-related tasks.

Role

In AGILE the primary role of IDCP is to host stress tests and is responsible for facilitating the wider (local/national/international) stakeholder engagement for its implementation.

• Identify preparedness gaps through assessing vulnerability to HILP events for populations, infrastructures, and industries, including testing Icelandic Emergency Management’s vulnerability.
• Improve understanding of mechanically coupled processes associated with earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and tsunamis.
• Strengthen Icelandic Host Nation Support for large-scale disasters, emphasizing worst-case scenarios requiring international assistance, particularly through Nordic disaster management cooperation and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).

Iceland, the world’s largest volcanic island, stands in the far northwest of Europe, isolated with a single cable connection to the mainland. Its unique risk profile includes volcanic and weather hazards, notably active glaciers with global consequences. Despite a well-aware population and volunteer network, the low density hinders large response units. Vulnerable infrastructures, like lengthy energy supply lines and the oil reserve, underpin the proposal, supported by a decade of disaster data and collaboration with academic institutions, backed by the UK Meteorological Service.

About

ENA – Energy and Environment Agency of Arrábida is a non-profit association formed by public and private entities and citizens, created in 2006 by the municipalities of Setúbal, Palmela and Sesimbra under the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme.

Its location, in the Setúbal Peninsula and integrated in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, leads to very important challenges in the scope of economical, socio-demographic and territorial structuring mechanisms in a region that brings together heavy and cutting-edge technology industry, forest, agriculture and handicraft activities, tourism infrastructures and large natural areas.

ENA promotes energy efficiency, renewable energies and environmental good practices in the Arrábida Territory towards energy transition and sustainable development in areas such as:

PLANNING (Electric Mobility Plan, Local Climate Change Adaptation Plans and Sustainable Energy Action Plans under the Covenant of Mayors), CIRCULAR ECONOMY (recycling of used cooking oil for the production of biodiesel), CAPACITATION (of cities in the design of roadmaps towards climate neutrality and through decision support tools regarding energy efficiency in public buildings), AWARENESS (community involvement in behavioral change through pedagogical tools) and TECHNICAL AREA (support in energy management, in the design of energy efficient infrastructures, energy audits and implementation of energy management systems).

ENA participates actively in RNAE (http://www.rnae.pt/) – the Portuguese Network of Energy Agencies, and is an associated member of Energy Cities, being involved in the elaboration and debate of international and national policies and strategies on environment and energy, as well as specific network projects.

Role in the project

ENA boasts several key expertise for the project, including the development and evaluation of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SEAPS and SECAPs) under the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Their proficiency extends to communication, dissemination, and training in energy, environment, and natural resources. With a skilled team comprising energy auditing and certification experts, ENA established sustainability observatories to monitor municipal power and water consumption, and mobility patterns, and implemented projects covering natural resource management, climate change adaptation, and energy efficiency.

ENA is positioned to collaborate with project partners and stakeholders to enhance risk response planning for various areas, including high-value natural sites, river basins, urban areas, and industrial parks. Leveraging its experience, ENA aims to contribute to the development of harmonized legal frameworks and guidelines for climate change adaptation and decarbonized community growth across participating countries.

About

Established in 1981, the G.E. Pukhov Institute for Modeling in Energy Engineering (PIMEE) has evolved into a preeminent research institute, particularly excelling in modeling and simulation within the energy sector. Operating under the subordination of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, PIMEE stands as a state-owned non-profit research institute. With a primary mission of providing IT technology in energetics, PIMEE offers scientific and technical support, especially focusing on cybersecurity in various domains.

Cybersecurity research holds a central role at PIMEE, encompassing fundamental and applied investigations in security policy, cyber strategy, internal security within the energy sector, environmental security, and the protection of critical infrastructure. The institute’s dedicated staff regularly conducts expertise in computer systems protection, contributing their insights to both industrial companies and government agencies.

PIMEE is also involved in several EU and international projects like GREENCO ALIOT, SPEAR and AGILE. Serving as the National Contact Point of Horizon 2020 “Secure Societies – Protecting Freedom and Security of Europe and its Citizens”, it actively supports Ukrainian teams in “Horizon 2020” and remains involved in Horizon Europe Cluster 3 National Contact Point activities, emphasizing its dedication to pioneering research and fostering global collaboration.

Role in the project

The security and resilience of Ukrainian critical infrastructure will be addressed through technological, organizational, human, and societal advancements. To illustrate the cascading effect, components such as technology, cybersecurity, and social aspects will be explored in both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios based on the state of the power network. Using Ukrainian datasets, PIMEE will analyze the cascading effects of the energy sector’s influence on other sectors of the economy and social life, with a specific focus on Industrial Control Systems (ICS).

About

Rotterdam-Rijnmond Safety Region (VRR) is a government organization that carries out tasks on behalf of the 13 municipalities in the region in the field of disaster response, crisis management, risk management, fire service, ambulance service and medical assistance. All 13 mayors together form the general administration. The chairman of the Rotterdam-Rijnmond Safety Region is the mayor of Rotterdam.

The Netherlands has 25 safety regions. The VRR’s catchment area has 1.2 million inhabitants, spread over 862 km2. In terms of population, it is the largest safety region in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the region houses one of the largest ports in the world and Rotterdam Airport – The Hague Airport. Many (petro)chemical companies are also housed in the area. Numerous hazardous substances are transported through the complex infrastructure of highways, tunnels, railways and pipelines.

Role in the project

In confronting novel incidents, crises, and disasters, the VRR offers counsel to both local and national authorities on enhancing preparedness. When these unforeseen situations unfold, the VRR acts as the foremost responders, delivering crucial fire and rescue services in the field while orchestrating effective crisis management. As direct end-users of AGILE project results, we aim to bring our expertise in crisis management and first response with knowledge institutes, forging innovative methodologies to heighten preparedness and craft solutions for seamless relief and recovery during and after HILP incidents.

About

The city of Rotterdam is located on the delta of the Nieuwe Maas River and is in terms of population the second largest city in the Netherlands. The city has a modern seaport with a large petrochemical and biobased chemical cluster. The highly urbanized Rotterdam region, with its interconnected port and airport infrastructure, plays an important role in supplying significant parts of Europe’s industry and society. To facilitate the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources Rotterdam is developing an international hub for hydrogen production, import, application and transport. Rotterdam is a resilient port city but despite that resilience, recent crises in the world have had long-term effects on the city and its inhabitants, on safety and the perception of safety. Rapid advances in digitalization, increasingly noticeable effects of climate change, much-needed energy transition and scarcities of raw materials constitute new risks.

The city of Rotterdam is well prepared for events like flooding, major fires and industrial and other accidents. Rotterdam can rely on the Regional Safety Authority which has a lot of experience in the field of physical safety. In the event of an emergency or major accident, all partners in the Regional Safety Authority work together in a crisis team, both operationally and where necessary administratively. In such situations the Municipality is responsible for caring for the population, taking on such roles as public information and the provision of refuges. And then in the period after the emergency, putting the city back on its feet so that life can go on.

Role in the project

Rotterdam is a case study partner in developing stress tests. To ensure safety and resilience in the long term, cybersecurity must be guaranteed. For this purpose, the Cyber Assessment Rotterdam 2022 #CA010 has identified Mobility, Economy, Governance, Public Services, Education, Crisis Management (Public Order and Safety), Healthcare, Housing, Utilities and the Port as urban functions requiring special protection. The case study will directly build upon the assessment report and translate it into a scenario for STT1 and STT2. We aim to fortify resilience by stress testing existing risk assessments and risk action plans regarding cyberattacks and their subsequent cascading effects on multiple urban functions. Our role is to provide information and data for the precursor analysis, contribute to the co-development of the methodological framework, co-develop stress-test scenarios, facilitate the engagement of local/regional/national stakeholders and host stress tests, and contribute to the development of improved governance approaches.

About

Prepared International, was founded by experienced United Nations and Red Cross disaster experts during the response to the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. PPI specializes in consultancy, research, and training services in the fields of Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness and Resilience, and Emergency Health, to inform political decision-making and to provide effective strategic and operational capacity-building strategies in the short- mid-and long term. PPI contributes to preventing loss of life and protecting developments by mitigating risks and strengthening preparedness and response capacities.

PPI’s approach encompasses a comprehensive set of tools based on best practices for Disaster Risk Management and Health through the development of preparedness models, organizational development and restructuring, self-adaptive learning systems and strategies for governance and coordination. Food security and sustainable human development, inspired by the SDGs and emergency preparedness and response, are in our vision best approached as integral components of national development planning. PPI provides community-centered approaches to strengthen resilience through climate change adaptation that is supportive of local economies and aimed at the eradication of extreme poverty. In resilience building, no one is left behind.

PPI has supported National Governments, IFRC, World Bank, KfW-German Development Bank, UNDP, EU, GIZ, and national systems through evaluations, capacity assessments, and stakeholder mapping. Our thematic focus on Emergency Health Systems aligns with SDGs, emphasizing capacity development and targeted exercises worldwide. With extensive expertise in Emergency Health, Crisis Management, DRM, EP&R, and CCA, we follow a holistic approach throughout the disaster cycle. Our global perspective spans regions across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, and Europe, using the SDGs as a universal framework for assessments and recommendations.

Role in the project

Prepared International (PPI) is part of the Steering Group of the project and Lead of Work Package 5. In this role, PPI will especially focus on the uptake of the project, translating research into application. In addition, PPI supports the development of the stress-test methodology and the implementation of the different case studies. PPI ensures that research from outside Europe is integrated and that the needs of operational organizations are guiding us.

About

As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

In today’s society, where issues cannot be solved by a single approach or perspective, the Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) investigates the interaction between society, technology and policy in a multidisciplinary way. We provide an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as resilience, energy transition, health, mobility, digitalization, water management and (cyber) security. We pioneer new resilience-based methods and tools that make use of the unique opportunities of novel technologies and data so that we can adapt to changing situations, and organize our societies for the future. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organizations and governments.

Role in the project

TUD will lead the design and development of a digital library of HILP events. We will use AI research that harnesses the power of data and Machine Learning to better understand the underlying patterns and cascading events that drive HILP events. We will further bring in our expertise on how decision-makers act upon information by working on a new approach for stress testing methodology to understand and reduce the impact of unexpected large-scale disasters. Through this project, we aim to improve our capacity to prepare for and monitor large-scale disasters for a resilient future and the protection of communities.

About

CMCC is an international research centre that collaborates with experienced scientists, economists, and technicians who work together to provide full analyses of climate impacts on socio-economic systems. CMCC was established in 2005 with the financial support of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, and the Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea, and it has been fully operative since 2006. On 10 December 2015, the Center became a Foundation, representing CMCC’s legal status, contents, aims and operational modalities.

CMCC also supports policymakers in setting and assessing costs, mitigation, and adaptation policies. Furthermore, the Foundation promotes and carries out basic and applied scientific research and develops operational services with a high content of knowledge and technological innovation in the various fields on which climate change has an impact, favouring collaboration between universities, national and international research bodies, local authorities and manufacturing sectors.

CMCC benefits from the extensive applied research experience of its cofounders institutions: Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Università degli Studi del Salento, Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Università di Sassari, Università della Tuscia, Politecnico di Milano, Resources for the Future, Università di Bologna.

It is organized in the form of a network connecting universities and research institutes in a strongly interdisciplinary collaboration aimed at developing and promoting knowledge in the field of climate science.

Role in the project

In the framework of the AGILE project, CMCC will be the leader of Task 3.4 and Task 4.4.

Task 3.4 – Tier 3 Risk and Resilience Stress Test Methodology – has 2 objectives: the first is the quantification of the relationship between critical functions of a complex system and the identification of shared vulnerabilities; the second focuses on the impact of any disruption to critical functions to the level that effective risk and resilience management plans can be developed.

Task 4.4 is dedicated to the implementation of Stress Test Tier 3 in 2 pilot areas: the Venice metropolitan area and Iceland. This task will involve the local stakeholders for data collection which will follow the categories of hazard, vulnerabilities, exposure factors, damages and disruptions caused by past extreme weather events and if available information on the recovery phase to assess the resilience of the system.

CMCC will also contribute to WP 1 (Conceptualizing HILP as concurrent, cascading and systemic events), 2 (Multi-disciplinary HILP reference library), 4 (Scenario development and stress-test implementation) and 6 (High impact creation – dissemination, communication and exploitation).

About

Factor Social is a dynamic SME consultancy specialized in Environmental Psychology, Risk Assessment, Risk Governance and Safe and Sustainable by Design. It develops projects in the field of psychosocial and environmental studies, characterized by the application of theories and models from environmental and social sciences to various fields of intervention. Factor Social crosses data in engineering and physical science with psychological and social science knowledge on stakeholder and societal needs to develop and implement sustainable solutions to problems ranging from simple evaluation of systems to complex societal problems on a global scale.

Factor Social operates in sectors such as Communication and Image, Evaluation of Social Impact and Analysis of Social Benefits, Management of the Perceptions of Risk, Social Sustainability and Public Participation, and Education and Training Courses. The company has expertise in Resilience, Risk Perception, Risk Communication, Crisis Management, Business Continuity Management, Risk Assessment and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, among other areas.

It creates added value for its clients by ensuring integration with other areas of expertise – such as engineering, architecture, education, management, and communication – and it services multiple sectors, including emerging technologies, infrastructure and construction, energy, land planning, mobility and transportation, and information technology.

The company has a broad portfolio of completed projects, having experience both in the development of projects for companies and in the academic and scientific fields, as well as working with government institutions on identifying and evaluating social, environmental and health risks and developing mitigation measures, developing sustainability programs, and developing communication plans and community engagement programs.

Factor Social is – and has been – engaged in Horizon Europe and MSCA-funded projects related to sustainability, resilience of communities and critical infrastructure, and digitalization of organizations. Additionally, the company has in place several cooperation protocols to receive and mentor BS, MSc and PhD students from Portuguese Universities.

Role in the project

In the AGILE project, FS will contribute to integrating a systemic perspective into the assessment of risks and resilience in cities and organizations; co-leading the development of stress test methodology and evaluation tools; supporting their implementation in demonstration cases; developing tools to support communication in crises, particularly considering scenarios of uncertainty; and training and capacity-building for stakeholders.

As a leader of WP3 (Risk and resilience stress-test methodology), which entails the development of a stress testing methodological framework to map the system’s interdependencies in economic, social, and physical domains, as well as the development of methodologies for identifying and managing systems resilience to HILP events to enhance infrastructure preparedness and community resilience.

FS plays a significant role across multiple WPs. WP1 – it contributes to the holistic conceptualization of HILP events, emphasizing concurrent, cascading, and systemic risks at community, organizational, and political levels. In WP4, FS actively engages in co-developing hypothetical scenarios for tabletop exercises, integrating risk maps and critical infrastructure locations. This involvement extends to the stress test implementation, where FS contributes to refining scenarios and employing innovative stress testing methodologies from WP3. Furthermore, its expertise contributes to the development of risk communication guidelines and strategies (WP5) and ensures high-quality implementation through effective data management and risk monitoring in WP7.

About

ARTTIC Innovation GmbH, AI, a company of the PNO Consultants Group, is the European leader in collaboration engineering, consultancy and management services for international research and technology related partnerships. Established in 2006, AI has successfully built and managed numerous projects in EU funding programmes. Furthermore, AI guides innovation projects from concept formulation to successful implementation. With a proven track record in project management, dissemination, communication, exploitation, and knowledge management, AI is currently collaborating with multinational consortiums in more than 28 EU-funded projects spanning diverse sectors, including Security, Energy, Aeronautics, Life Sciences, and Health.

AI’s methods and tools are dedicated to the successful implementation of collaborative research and innovation projects. Comprising a team of over 30 professionals in Germany, with locations in Munich and Berlin, AI draws its strength from a broad industrial and academic base, forming a truly multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team. Highly specialized and skilled, AI’s staff is adept at managing and providing innovation services, making ARTTIC Innovation GmbH an invaluable partner for the AGILE project.

Role in the project

As a leader of WP6, AI focuses on stakeholder engagement, dissemination, communication, and networking activities. We lead the design, execution, and continuous update of a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy to ensure AGILE’s success. Throughout the project, AI maintains tools and channels to inform stakeholders and sustain continuous engagement.

Additionally, AI takes the lead in designing, managing, and implementing dissemination, communication, stakeholder engagement, and networking activities. This involves creating tools, materials, and forums for project awareness, with a unified project brand identity across various platforms. Leveraging the Online Community Platform (CMINE), AI fosters the AGILE stakeholder network, managing the CMINE platform and ensuring its sustainability post-project. Moreover, AI coordinates an External Project Advisory Board (PAB) and facilitates proactive clustering activities with other projects.

Furthermore, AI supports the consortium and the project coordinator with project coordination and administrative tasks for effective project planning and administration, including the establishment of the End-User Committee for ongoing stakeholder engagement

About

Winner of the 2022 UN Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction, the University of Hawai’i’s Pacific Disaster Center is a global leader in the application of life-saving disaster management science, early warning technology, and advanced analytics. Our risk intelligence products provide decision-makers with the essential insights and information needed to act early to protect communities from hazards and to build more sustainable, resilient communities for a safer world.

The Center’s DisasterAWARE technology is used by tens of thousands of disaster management and humanitarian assistance practitioners around the globe. DisasterAWARE is a ready-made “Early Warning for All” solution that provides global, multi-hazard early warning for natural and manmade hazards. DisasterAWARE offers advanced situational awareness tools including the highest resolution all-hazards impact modeling, advanced analytics, and artificial intelligence-augmented information. The Center’s public Disaster Alert app, powered by DisasterAWARE, has been downloaded over 3.2 million times worldwide.

Role in the project

PDC’s globally recognized work in disaster risk analysis will support the AGILE consortium in understanding High Impact Low Probability (HILP) events to improve societal resilience. PDC will support partners by providing access to relevant data holdings, supporting methodology development, conducting advanced analysis where appropriate, and providing access to PDC proprietary high-resolution impact modeling.

PDC further serves to amplify the work of the consortium through our partner networks. Our focus will be on enabling connection between researchers and practitioners and serve as a bridge to test key advancements in disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management.

The AGILE consortium will also investigate how climate change and security variables – two areas where PDC has extensive experience – impact how stakeholders prepare for, respond to, and recover from HILP events.

About

The UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR) inspires innovation and evidence-based practice focused on improving disaster risk reduction (DRR). Based at University College London (UCL), it is an exciting department that leads research, knowledge exchange and teaching in the fields of risk and disaster reduction and humanitarian action. With its breadth of disciplinary emphasis, and promotion of novel multidisciplinary research and translation into practice, the IRDR seeks to empower all to break down barriers to global DRR knowledge.

Always forward-thinking, the IRDR aims to develop leaders and experts in disaster risk reduction research, education, and practice. They run PhD and MRes programmes in risk and disaster reduction, Master’s programmes in risk, disaster and resilience and risk and disaster science, and an undergraduate programme in global humanitarian studies, all with a diverse and cross-disciplinary international intake.

UCL is a diverse global community of world-class academics, students, industry and external partners, and alumni. It is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010 – 2024) and is one of only a handful of institutions rated as having the strongest academic reputation and the broadest research impact.

Role in the project

In the initial phase, UCL concentrates on the theory-building process, exploring how HILPs interact at various levels—community, organization, and political. This involves understanding the influence of these events on decision-making processes amid higher uncertainties. UCL’s approach delves into commonalities and differences between HILPs and high-impact, high-probability (HIHP) events, aiming to identify elements applicable to existing technologies and tools. This research will see the development of a glossary of key terminology and definitions, aligned with existing operational standards and validated through expert interviews. UCL will contribute to establishing a taxonomy for formalizing and collecting data on HILP events throughout the AGILE project. This effort supports replicable benchmarking that is of use for scholars and practitioners, as well as providing the groundwork for subsequent work in later AGILE work packages. UCL will lead a systematic review of the state of the art on HILPs, including both academic literature and grey literature across different fields such as disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. This aims to explore practical challenges in preparing for HILPs and enhancing crisis management resilience. This research serves as a bridge between risk management and resilience management, incorporating strategic foresight and lateral thinking to address events characterized by a lack of precursors and high uncertainty.

As part of the stress testing work package taking place later in the AGILE timeline, UCL contributes to scenario development and case study partner engagement. UCL will compile a reference list of previous HILP events worldwide, laying the groundwork for hypothetical scenarios used in tabletop exercises. These scenarios, developed in collaboration with local partners, aim to prefigure a range of possible outcomes and enhance operational capacity, ultimately facilitating the integration of HILPs into everyday emergency management and training practices.

About

The International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) was established at Tohoku University after the catastrophic 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. IRIDeS brings together the knowledge of Tohoku University and pursues the most advanced research on natural hazards, disaster and disaster risk reduction, aiming to contribute to on-going recovery and reconstruction efforts in the disaster-affected areas and to being a world center for disaster science in cooperation with research organizations from many countries. Based on the lessons from the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, IRIDeS is making efforts to shift paradigms in disaster risk reduction to cope with catastrophic disasters caused by natural hazards. Towards this goal, IRIDeS is developing practical research on disaster risk reduction that proposes solutions for disaster risk reduction and is contributing to sustainable and resilient societies both in Japan and overseas.

Disasters can be understood as the following phases in the disaster cycle: Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery. IRIDeS pursues disaster science that explores events within each stage of the above cycle and integrates lessons and findings across the cycle. The mission of IRIDeS is to: apply knowledge derived from research on the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster and its recovery and research findings on disasters worldwide to society; construct studies to build social systems in which humans and society can respond wisely to changing disasters, overcoming hardships and applying lessons learned; and systemize these studies as practical disaster research and build their academic value.

While enhancing cooperation with local governments affected by the 2011 disaster and making concrete contributions to the reconstruction of the disaster-affected areas, IRIDeS aims toward the construction of a society that can cope with risks of evolving natural hazards and the development of new technologies for disaster risk reduction and their implementation to society. IRIDeS focuses on disaster science across the mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery phases, integrating lessons globally. Its mission is to apply knowledge from past disasters, construct resilient social systems, and systemize practical disaster research. Towards this vision, IRIDeS focuses on the following:

1. Examining global disasters caused by natural hazards
2. Incorporating disaster risk reduction into reconstruction projects.
3. Innovating studies to support disaster-affected areas
4. Enhancing disaster resiliency and performance in regional and urban areas
5. Establishing medical service systems towards catastrophic natural disasters.
6. Designing disaster-resilient societies and developing digital archives

Role in the project

IRIDeS will play a crucial role in several aspects of the project. It will contribute to the conceptualization of HILP events by providing continuous insights and expertise, based on the lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake. Through participation and facilitation, it will address practical challenges in preparing for such events and enhancing crisis management resilience. IRIDeS will also engage in co-designing the HILP Reference Library Architecture by involving Japanese stakeholders in surveys and workshops to identify influential variables and platform design requirements. Furthermore, it will contribute to building and tailoring the library by providing data, organizing prototype workshops, and offering feedback on usability.

In addition, IRIDeS will support the development of risk and resilience stress testing methodologies, providing feedback on Stress Test Tier (STT) 1 and STT2 methodologies. Leveraging insights from Fukushima, it will collaborate with key stakeholders (e.g. TEPCO, Onagawa Nuclear Power Station (Tohoku Energy Company), Japan’s reconstruction agency, and the Iwate and Miyagi Prefecture Disaster Management Sections) to develop stress-test scenarios. Moreover, IRIDeS will assist in defining impact and engagement strategies, identifying key stakeholders, and contributing to dissemination and communication activities. Lastly, it will support sustainability efforts by aiding in the definition of exploitation plans, engaging with strategic stakeholders, and fulfilling formal reporting obligations as per the EC Grant Agreement.