31 March 2011

Three important forthcoming conferences with a natural hazards theme

Posted by Dave Petley

Given that natural hazards are at the forefront of the news at the moment, I thought it would be good to highlight three important forthcoming conferences at which we will learn a great deal more about recent and potential events:

1. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2011

Next week is the annual EGU meeting in Vienna.  This will be the largest natural hazards meeting of the year, at which there will be 60 natural hazards related sessions in which almost 1700 papers will be presented.  This will include special sessions on the New Zealand and Japan earthquakes.  There are 12 landslide related sessions.  As an aside this will mark the end of my term as scientific secretary and as Vice-President of the Natural Hazards Division.  Unfortunately, due to other commitments I will only be in Vienna on Tuesday and Wednesday this year.

2. Conference on remote sensing, natural hazards and environmental change, Singapore

On 28th and 29th July 2011 the National University of Singapore will host a meeting with the above theme.  The conference description states that it is designed to “initiate informal discussion and paper presentation in two areas that are significant for the Asia-Pacific Region and especially Southeast Asia. First of these involves *natural hazards *with emphasis on volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and large floods. The second concerns *environmental changes *including climate change,modification of hydrological and geological processes and urbanization. The application of remote sensing in both observing such phenomena and ameliorating their non-beneficial effects will be emphasized.”

Given its theme and location, this is likely to be really good.  Details are available here, with an abstract deadline of 15th April 2011.

3. AGU Fall meeting, 2011

Looking further ahead, the AGU Fall meeting will take place on 5th-9th December in San Francisco.  Whilst that might seem a long way in the future, the deadline for session proposals is 20th April.  This is likely to be the meeting at which we start to see detailed analyses of the recent events being presented.  No doubt there will be a very strong natural hazards programme again this year, so mark it into your diary now!

ference on* 

REMOTE SENSING, NATURAL HAZARDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

28 — 29 July 2011, National University of Singapore, Singapore

*Second Announcement

This conference is organized by the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP), National University of Singapore; Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans (LMV), Université Blaise Pascal; and the Working Group for Large Rivers andClimate Change, International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG). It is part of the STIC Asia (sponsored by the French Foreign Office in Southeast Asia) research and exchange programme of Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans involving remote sensing as applied to geological hazard studies between Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and France.

The conference is designed to initiate informal discussion and paper presentation in two areas that are significant for the Asia Pacific Region and especially Southeast Asia. First of these involves *natural hazards *with emphasis on volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and large floods. The second concerns *environmental changes *including climate change,modification of hydrological and geological processes and urbanization. The application of *remote sensing *in both observing such phenomena and ameliorating their non-beneficial effects will be emphasized. The conference provides a forum for exchange of views among researchers currently working in this area and for designing research strategies for the future.

Three keynotes will be offered by Dr. Simon CARN (Michigan Technological University, USA), Dr. Cees van Westen (ITC, University of Twente, The Netherlands), and Dr. Russel BLONG (Macquarie University, Australia).

*Abstract and Paper Submission*

Authors who wish to present a paper or poster are requested to submit an abstract (approximately 250 to 600 words). The abstract submission deadline is *15 April 2011*. Authors are encouraged to submit a paper (extended abstract, maximum 4 pages, single spacing, 12pt font) for inclusion in the Conference Proceedings CD. In the absence of a paper, only the accepted abstract will appear in the Proceedings. The paper (extended abstract) submission deadline is *1 June 2011*. We would also like to publish a selected number of papers in appropriate peer-reviewed journals after the conference.

To submit an abstract on-line, go to the following website hosted at EasyChair.org:

https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=rsnhec2011

The same link can be used to upload your paper (extended abstract) after the abstract submission deadline. If you have difficulty submitting your abstract using the on-line form, please contact: [email protected]

*Registration*

Registration will be open on the conference homepage early April. Everyone intending to attend the conference must register, including authors. A nominal registration fee entitles participants to all sessions, lunch, coffee breaks, a welcome dinner and a Proceedings CD.*
*

*Venue and Hotels*

The two-day conference will be held at the Kent Ridge campus of National University of Singapore. Hotel information will be available on the conference homepage in April. Free shuttle buses will be arranged in the morning for transportation from designated hotels to the conference venue.