This post was written by Dr Martin Parham (Lecturer in Disaster Management) about a recent student field trip to Sicily, for the module ‘Understanding Environmental Hazards’ on HCRI’s MSc in International Disaster Management (module list).
When considering your next holiday or trip what are the key things you consider?
The stunning landscapes, beaches to relax, cultural or historic landmarks or activities available? How often do you consider the potential risks associated with visiting a place.
This was the focus of the postgraduate visit to Vulcano, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, as part of the assessment for HCRI64402 – Understanding Environmental Hazards – April 15th-18th. Students visited the active volcanic islands Vulcano and Stromboli to apply their learning in class and recognise evidence from past geophysical hazard events and understand how the risk is perceived by locals and managed. We also visited the nearby active Stromboli and were lucky see it erupt.
Image of Mount Stromboli erupting on evening of April 16th
The main purpose of the trip was to assess the impact of potential future eruptions at Vulcano on the town, Porto di Levante, the main tourist destination on Vulcano. Students employed a series of methods, including risk matrices, logging, vulnerability transects and surveys to make their assessment. We were also interested in the perception gap between local residents, tourists and observed evidence.
A photograph to show the group at the summit of Vulcano, on April 16th – getting perspective of past events and the proximity to the town.
Students appreciated the opportunity to visit these stunning landscapes, understand the application of the course material and evaluate the fieldwork methods to understand risk.
It is safe to say there are two things which we can surmise from our trip. These visits are great team building exercises which provide unforgettable experiences and Vulcano, when active, may not be the best location to enjoy your next beach holiday (although it has some spectacular views).
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