Dear Colleagues

The Portuguese Association of Risks, Prevention and Security (RISCOS), in collaboration with the Department of Geography and Tourism, Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra (FLUC), and other institutional partners, is organizing the VI International Congress on Risks, under the theme “Risks and Territorial Conflicts”. From natural disasters to geopolitical tensions”, which will take place in person in the city of Coimbra (Central Portugal), from 23 to 26 May 2023.

All over the world and in an almost daily context, we are directly confronted with situations of conflict and disasters that jeopardize our survival, destroy communities or affect their infrastructure and cause serious social and psychological trauma. Recognizing the growing impact of crises and their complexity across vast areas of the globe, reducing conflict and disaster risks, and building more resilient societies are goals of the Sendai Framework 2015-2030. Climate changes and its influence on natural disasters (droughts, storms, floods, extreme temperatures, mass movements, volcanoes, earthquakes, animal and plant pests, …) among others anthropic and mixed risks, can generate large population displacements, such as environmental refugees, political refugees, migrations in search of better living conditions, public health and security, that can cause strong geopolitical tensions in the context of disputes over natural resources, energy, infrastructure, public health, territorial identities, which can leave to dispossession and warlike confrontations, jeopardizing the existence of societies.

The Congress thematic panels convene studious on the subject, as well as all those who can contribute to the expansion of knowledge related to them. Each theme refers to the understanding of disciplinary and interdisciplinary dialogues where local knowledge intersects with scientific and technical knowledge, from exact sciences, earth sciences to human and social sciences, contributing to the identification, characterization and methodical evaluation of natural, anthropic and mixed risks, which affect safety, the quality of the environment and the life of populations, fundamental aspects for the adoption of adequate measures to eliminate or mitigate conflicts, risks and their manifestations, which are intended to be analyzed with the completion of this VI Congress.

There are 8 thematic lines, divided into 5 general panels and 3 panels of research groups, to which any author of oral or poster works can submit research abstracts:

General Thematic Panels:

Panel 1 – Climate change, environmental risks and social vulnerability
Panel 2 – Conflicts, technological risks and infrastructures
Panel 3 – Disputes, natural resources and protected areas
Panel 4 – Dispossessions in urban contexts
Panel 5 – Territorial identities and conflicts

Thematic Panels of the Working Groups:

G1 – National Network for the study of Forest fires and their effects on Soils (NFS)
G2 – Catastrophe Medicine (MedCat)
G3 – Research Group for Risk Education (RGRE)

Therefore, we encourage you to participate in this Congress, making us aware of the research and studies that you have been or are carrying out on conflicts, risks and their manifestations, presenting a communication or, simply, participating in the VI International Congress of Risks. Are accepted communications in 4 languages: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese (there will be no simultaneous translation), the oral communication sessions may be organized according to the language of the received and accepted communications.

Taking this opportunity, we ask that you encourage your PhD and Master’s students to also present communications or, if not, to mobilize colleagues from your institution, school, laboratory or research group, so that they can also participate and, finally, we would like to thank you for publicizing this Congress to all those who may be interested in participating. Please note that there are special prices for group registrations (more than 3 participants).

There are two deadlines for submission of abstracts of communications, the first until 15 of November 2022 and the second call will be until 28 of February 2023. For subsidized registrations, two deadlines are foreseen: The first, with a higher bonus, ends on 31 of December 2022, and the second ends on 31 of March 2023. Subsequently, registrations will always be accepted, but at the normal rate.

First Circular and the Poster with information regarding the VI International Congress on Risks, is available on the website: https://vicir.riscos.pt/en/ which will be updated regularly.

Authors will be able to transform communications into articles and submit them, for publication, to Territorium – International Journal of Risks, in which congress participants will have preference for publication. The final decision on publication will depend on the number and characteristics of contributions received.

We would like to inform you that to promote the stay of participants with lower costs, an agreement was established with the Hotel Coimbra Aeminium**** Affiliated by Meliáda, which was designated as the Official Hotel Congress, given that it has more attractive rates for the accommodation during the congress.

In the same context, participants who need to travel by plane will be able to enjoy the discount that TAP grants to all participants of this International Congress and who will make their plane reservation there, purchasing the respective ticket exclusively through the website of the TAP (http://www.flytap.com). The TAP Code assigned to the V International Risk Congress is: IT23TPCG02.

On the event website https://vicir.riscos.pt/en/ you can find a whole set of additional information on the organization and logistics of the congress, which will be updated.

If you have any questions or clarifications, you can preferably contact us via email: congressos@riscos.pt .

Looking forward to having your presence at the VI International Congress on Risks, we offer cordial greetings,

The Organizing Committee
Fátima Velez
Adélia Nunes
João Luís Fernandes
António Vieira
Bruno Martins
Fernando Félix