Cities on Volcanoes 9: Understanding Volcanoes and Society - The Key for Risk Mitigation

Invitation to participate:
The hosting Chilean volcanology community invites the international scientific community and authorities that are involved in managing risks and hazards in volcanically active areas to participate in the Cities on Volcanoes 9 Conference to be held in Puerto Varas, Chile, from November 20th until November 25th, 2016, spring season in the Southern Hemisphere. The slogan and main focus of the meeting will be ‘Understanding volcanoes and society: the key for risk mitigation’. Several symposia are being arranged oriented to understand volcanic phenomena, recognize the hazards and their impact on people, emergency management, community education, case histories and risk mitigation to reduce the impacts of volcanism and its effects on society.

The neighbouring volcanoes:
Recent eruptions of Andean volcanoes near Puerto Varas (Llaima: 2008; Chaitén: 2008-09; Cordón Caulle: 2011-12; Villarrica: 2015 and Calbuco: 2015) have caused substantial societal disruptions not only in Chile but also in other countries, such as Argentina and as far as Australia and New Zealand because of the impact of ash clouds on air navigation. Since volcanic activity will continue to occur in the Andes, risks to life and property will also increase due to exposure to volcanic hazards. Although hazard maps do exist for Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes, these need to be updated based upon the new geological knowledge emerged in the last few years and the recent Calbuco volcano eruption effects. The challenge, therefore, is to provide quality information to assist the local community in managing risks from long- and short-term hazards potential. This can be enhanced by the organization of the Cities on Volcanoes conference, through the strengthening of scientific and emergency preparedness partnerships in the region, resulting in increased capabilities, strategies and products that are more sensitive to customer needs.
One important issue to address during the conference is related to the communities living near volcanoes that are along an international border. Actually, although most of the active volcanoes in the Southern Andes are located in Chile, the ash is usually transported into Argentina causing severe damage. A key point will be to discuss how can countries work together to best ensure citizen and infrastructure safety.

Important dates:
Workshop proposals, August-December 2015
Second circular and call for papers, March 2016
Abstract submission, April-June 2016
Grant application, July 2016
Early registration, April-July 2016

Scientific-technical and multidisciplinary reference group:
They will be listed in the Second Circular

Preliminary scientific-technical issues:

• Volcanic eruptions: processes and hazards mapping.
• Volcano monitoring: alert levels and uncertainties. 
• Remote sensing: application to monitoring techniques.
• Education and communication with communities and authorities.
• Volcanic risk: evaluation and mitigation.
• Land use planning in volcanic areas.
• Emergency plans and crisis managements: recent case studies.
• Environmental impacts of volcanic eruptions and health effects on local communities.
• Monitoring Andean volcanoes: state of the art for warning and communicating with communities.
• International collaboration at volcanoes: the ALVO mission.
• Geoarchaeology, geoparks and tourism in volcanic areas.
• Eruption impacts on communities along the borderline.

Excursions:
Pre- and post-conference field trips will be offered. The aim of the excursions is to take advantage of the superb variety of volcanoes in the country, focusing on impact and mitigation learned from recent eruptions of Chaitén, Calbuco and Caulle volcanoes, where hazards assessments have been developed to some extent in the neighbouring Chilean and Argentinean communities.
Dates and costs will be announced in the Second Circular.

Social Programme:
Puerto Varas is known as the "City of the Roses" and is located at the shore of the Llanquihue Lake. It is essentially a tourist town, gateway to numerous attractions, and a paradise for fly fishing, mountain climbing, skiing, trekking, water sports and horseback riding, among others. Bariloche in Argentina can also be visited from Puerto Varas to the east through the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park, sailing across the Todos Los Santos Lake and crossing by Peulla pass. The official social program will include events in the city and neighbourhood tours, historical reviews and artistic presentations.

Registration:
Early Registration: 01 Apr-31 Jul 2016
Late Registration: 01 Aug-20 Oct 2016

Participant Category Fees ($USD): Early bird,  Late
IAVCEI Donor Member - $450, $500
IAVCEI Non Donor Member - $500, $550
Non IAVCEI Member - $550, $600
Accompanying person - $350, $400
Student - $200, $250
Non academic local participants - $40, $50

Local Organizing Committe (Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, SERNAGEOMIN)
President: Rodrigo Alvarez, Chief Executive Officer
Chair: Mario Pereira, Deputy Director of Geology
General Secretary: Paul Duhart
Executive Secretary: Hugo Moreno
Members: Álvaro Amigo, Paula Baltra, Daniel Basualto, Daniel Bertin,
Mauricio Mella, Jorge Muñoz, Edmundo Polanco, David Quiroz and Jaime Tobar.

For further information please contact:
Paul Duhart, General Secretary, or Hugo Moreno, Executive Secretary.
Av. Santa María 0104, Providencia Santiago, CHILE
Phone: +56-2-24825500
Email: paul.duhart@sernageomin.cl; hugo.moreno@sernageomin.cl