Project Description

This thesis focuses on the need to understand the risk scenarios resulting from the negative synergies of unbalanced interaction between social and natural factors. It seems that we are not learning enough from disasters, for example losses associated to natural phenomena are continuously augmenting despite the knowledge increased. This research is framed into the ecocentric paradigm and identifies the problem from a territory perspective. It is based in the Systems Theory and the Scenario Structuring Theory. The territory is an open system where vulnerability and natural phenomena are equally constituents. Then, risk scenarios can be reconstructed along a continuous time and space. The turning point of risk scenario into disaster is considered to happen in risk hot spots only visible at local level, and then the local scale becomes mandatory for risk scenario reconstruction. In this work, the territory at risk consists of a set of risk basic cells called TRUE. Some case studies were carried out applying the TRUE, highlighting the health risk (circulatory and respiratory diseases) of Porto resident population associated to outdoor temperature (heat waves and cold spells).

Research Team

• Maria Augusta Fernández Moreno
• Valentín Cabero (supervisor)
• Ana Monteiro (co-supervisor)

Financial Support

• FCT co-financial support

Stage of Progress

• Concluded in 2013