Anticipating Changes - Flood Risk Anticipation and Communication in the Alps

Guest speaker: Prof. Dr. Roberto Poli

University of Trento, Italy

23 January 2020, 15:15-16:45, Bundesstrasse 53, 20146 Hamburg, Room 022/023

This second Convent features a talk by Prof. Dr. Roberto Poli about anticipation, and its theoretical implications, thereby drawing on the experience of the project LIFE FRANCA. Poli is UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems and the author of numerous books and articles on anticipation. He teaches Social Foresight and Epistemology of the Social Sciences.

Summary

The 2nd CLICCS Convent was focused on “Anticipating Changes” and presented Prof. Dr. Roberto Poli as its Guest Speaker.

Poli is UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems at the University of Trento, where he teaches Social Foresight and Epistemology of the Social Sciences. Poli has published seven books, edited or co-edited more than 20 books or special journal volumes and published more than 250 scientific papers. Poli is editor-in-chief of the journal Axiomathes (Springer) and editor of the series Anticipation Science (Springer). He is President of the Association of Italian Futurists (AFI) and of a start-up named Skopìa Anticipation Services. He is Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS) and of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS).

At this 2nd CLICCS Convent, Poli discussed anticipation and its theoretical implications by drawing on the experience and ideas underlying the Life project FRANCA (Flood Risk ANticipation and Communication in the Alps). The project’s main objective was to promote the anticipation and awareness of flood risk. It focused on long-term awareness, while the management of emergencies was backgrounded. It was oriented at understanding and eventually changing mental and social models, and the corresponding habits and behaviors, as they related to environmental risks. The project adopted methods from the field of Futures Studies.

The format of the 2nd CLICCS Convent consisted of a 45 minutes lecture by the guest speaker and 40 minutes for discussion, followed by a reception with further opportunities for informal exchanges. This Convent was preceded by a special seminar with Professor Poli for advanced graduate/doctoral students and interested faculty, entitled: “Uncertainty and Decision Making: An Introduction to Futures Literacy,” thus offering opportunities for deeper engagement with the theoretical underpinnings and for making connections across research areas.