Volcanic Hazard Assessment and Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to inform you about this new edition of a Special Issue on Volcanic Hazard Assessment and Sustainable Development, to be published in Sustainability, MDPI (IF. 3.889)

Volcanic hazard assessment is an essential component of disaster risk reduction and sustainable development. Volcanic eruptions can cause significant damage to the environment, infrastructure, and human life; therefore, it is critical to identify and assess the potential hazards associated with volcanic activity. To assess volcanic hazards, scientists use various techniques such as monitoring volcanic activity, modeling volcanic processes, analyzing historical eruptions, and reconstructing past eruptions from the geological record. Volcanic hazard assessment distinguishes between long- and short-term assessments. Long-term assessment is based on historical and geological data, as well as on simulation models of possible hazards, and is basically used for territorial planning and defining emergency plans. In contrast, short-term assessments concentrate on the unrest phase, when complementary information resulting from the combination of long-term analysis and real-time monitoring data is used to update the status of the volcanic hazard. Short-term evaluation helps forecast where and when the eruption will take place and the most likely eruptive scenarios to result from such an eruption. Taken together, these hazard assessments help in developing appropriate strategies and policies for disaster management, evacuation planning, and infrastructure development in areas prone to volcanic activity.

Volcanic hazard assessment is crucial for sustainable development, which involves creating a balance between economic growth, social well-being, and environmental protection. Sustainable development can be achieved by incorporating hazard assessments into land-use planning, infrastructure development, disaster management policies, and education on volcanic hazards. By incorporating sustainable development strategies, communities can be better prepared to respond to volcanic activity, reduce the risk of harm, and promote long-term resilience.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: long- and short-term volcanic hazard assessment methodologies, description of case studies, incorporation of volcanic hazard assessment into land planning and disaster management policies, education on volcanic hazards, sustainable development in active volcanic areas, volcanic hazards and environmental protection, volcanic hazards and economy, or resilience in active volcanic areas. 

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Joan Martí
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• volcanic hazard assessment
• sustainable development
• land planning
• disaster management
• environmental protection
• education