temeljnizopisom-en – Page 2 – Podiplomska šola ZRC SAZU

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Landscape perspectives of natural hazards

Programme:

Environmental and Regional Studies (3rd level)

Modul:

Biodiversity and ecology (3rd Cycle)

Paleobiology and sedimentary geology (3rd Cycle)

Regional studies (3rd Cycle)

Course code: DI006
Year of study: without

Course principal:

Asst. Prof. Mateja Ferk, Ph. D.

Asst. Prof. Blaž Komac, Ph. D.

ECTS: 6

Workload: lectures 60 hours, individual work 120 hours.
Course type: common elective
Languages: Slovene, English
Learning and teaching methods: lectures, e-learning, individual work.

Course syllabus (download)

Prerequisite:

Second-cycle Bologna degree in the relevant track or a university (level VII) degree

Content (Syllabus outline):

Natural disasters are presented as part of the landscape and as an important topic in technicized and individualized modern society. Natural disasters are often overlooked but important factors for development due to the diversity and high number of effects that cause limitations to society. Featured are the most important causal (influential factors, the combination), space-time (spatial arrangement of events, frequency), magnitude of the phenomenon (and its variability) and major physical-geographic (types of events in Slovenia and around the world) and human-geographic aspects (disaster management, vulnerability, hazard and risk of natural disasters, communication, education, memory, psychology, culture) of natural disasters and the basic methods of modern science in the field of natural hazards.

Readings:

Keller, E. A., DeVecchio, D. E., Blodgett, R. H. 2019: Natural hazards : Earth’s processes as hazards, disasters, and catastrophes. London, New York. Routledge.
Burby, R. I. 1998: Cooperating with nature – confronting natural hazards with land-use planning for sustainable communities. Washington.
Mikoš, M., Fazarinc, R., Majes, B. 2007: Delineation of risk area in Log pod Mangartom due to debris flows from the Stože landslide. Acta geographica Slovenica 47-2.
Walker, G., Whittle, R., Medd, W., Watson, N. 2010: Risk governance and natural hazards. http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/49475/1/WP2_final.pdf
Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., Davis, I. 1994: At risk – natural hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters. Routledge.
Komac, B., Zorn, M. 2007: Pobočni procesi in človek. Geografija Slovenije 15. Ljubljana.

Objectives and competences:

The aim of the course is to present the key issues on natural disasters with the focus on sustainable development, and holistic understanding with spatial, economic and social aspects of natural disasters, particularly their causes and effects.

Based on the acquired knowledge, students will be able to comprehensively evaluate the importance and the (possible) effects of natural disasters on the local, regional and national levels and become familiar with the fundamentals of the EU’s approach to the problem.

They will master the latest theories and concepts/approaches to natural hazards and understand modern trends.

Intended learning outcomes:

Knowledge of the theories, concepts, models and methods in the field of studying natural hazards
The ability to identify key influencing factors and their placement in the landscape
The ability of a comprehensive understanding of the problem
The ability of disaster management
Knowledge of relevant methods enabling students to study natural hazards in a selected area
Knowledge of the concepts of vulnerability, hazard and risk, and the ability of their comprehensive analysis of the selected area, including geographical information systems.

Assessment:

Oral exam (100 %).

MODULE GENERAL ELECTIVE COURSES

Asst. Prof. Blaž Komac, Ph. D.

Assistant Professor at master degree study programme (2nd level) Earth and Environmental Sciences and doctoral degree study programme (3rd level) Environmental and Regional Studies at Postgraduate School ZRC SAZU. Research Advisor at Anton Melik Geographical Institute ZRC SAZU.

blaz.komac@zrc-sazu.si

Education

Sc. in Geography and Sociology (University of Ljubljana, 2000)
Sc. in Geography (University of Ljubljana, 2003)
Ph. D. in Geography (University of Ljubljana, 2005)

Fieldwork and research interests

The Dr. Blaž Komac is a research advisor at the ZRC SAZU Anton Melik Geographical Institute where he has been working since 2000. He deals with geography of natural hazards and physical geographical studies, and he also works on the topics of ice and paleoenvironment in karst mountain areas and serves as an editor. In 2010 he took over the leadership of the Department of Natural Hazards and soon after the Institute’s Research Program. Since 2010, he has been the editor-in-chief of the Ujma (Disaster) professional magazine and serves as the editor-in-chief of the SCI-E journal Acta Geographica Slovenica. He has been a contributor to several EU research projects, including the FP7 CapHaz-Net and Interreg Urban Heat Island. In 2018, he was appointed member of the UNDRR European Science and Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG). His bibliography comprises of 500 units, of which he (co-)authored seven scientific monographs and 70 original and review scientific papers.

Other

Member of the European Science & Technology Advisory Group (E-STAG) at the United Nations International Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UN DRR) (Since 29. 3. 2018)
Vice-president of the Institute’s Scientific Council,
Editor-in-chief of the Acta geographica Slovenica/Geografski zbornik SCI-E journal (2004–),
Editor-in-chief of the Ujma journal, issued by the Administration of Civil protection and disaster relief of the Republic of Slovenia,
Lecturer at the Faculty of humanities, University of Primorska, Koper (until 2015),
Co-organizer of the Bojan Ušeničnik day – triennal symposium Natural hazards of Slovenia,
Co-editor of the Natural hazards book series,
Member of the IGU Hazard and Risk Commision,
Secretary of the Geomorphological Society of Slovenia (2001–2011),
Lectures commisioner at the Ljubljana Geographical Society (2001–2005),
A member of The Natural Disaster Commission appointed by the Government of Slovenia (November 2000 – January 2001) at the occasion of the Log pod Mangartom debris flow

Selected publications

ARTICLES

Management of small retention ponds and their impact on flood hazard prevention in the Slovenske Gorice Hills. Ferk, M., Ciglič, R., Komac, B., Lóczy, D. Acta geographica Slovenica 60-1, 2020.
Subglacial carbonate deposits as a potential proxy for glacier’s existence. Lipar, M., Martín-Pérez, A., Tičar, J., Pavšek, M., Gabrovec, M., Hrvatin, M., Komac, B., Zorn, M., Zupan Hajna, N., Zhao, J., Ferk, M. The cryosphere discussions, 2020.
Remapping fictional worlds : a comparative reconstruction of fictional maps. Gašperič, P., Komac, B. The Cartographic journal 57-1, 2020.
A geographical and architectural perspective on Alpine hay meadow abandonment in Bohinj, Slovenia. Kušar, D., Komac, B. Eco.mont 11-1, 2019.
Novodobna poselitev hudourniških vršajev in nevarnost drobirskih tokov : primer Zgornjesavske doline. Breg Valjavec, M., Komac, B. Pokrajina v visoki ločljivosti. Ljubljana, 2018.
Prožna mesta – trajnostni razvoj in naravne nesreče. [Resilient cities – sustainable development and natural hazards] Komac, B. Trajnostni razvoj mest in naravne nesreče. Naravne nesreče 4, 2017.
Škoda zaradi naravnih nesreč v Sloveniji in svetu med letoma 1995 in 2010 [Damage caused by natural disasters in Slovenia and globally between 1995 and 2010]. Zorn, M., Komac, B. Acta geographica Slovenica 51-1, 2012.
Recent landform evolution in Slovenia. Komac, B., Hrvatin, M., Perko, D., Natek, K., Mihevc, A., Prelovšek, M., Zorn, M., Stepišnik, U. Springer geography, Dordrecht, 2012.
Perspectives on social capacity building for natural hazards: outlining an emerging field of research and practice in Europe. Kuhlicke, C., Komac, B., Zorn, M. et al. Environment science & policy 14- 7, 2011.
Soil erosion in Europe. Hrvatin, M., Komac, B., Perko, D., Zorn, M. Wiley, Chichester, 2006

REPORTS

Evolving risk of wildfires in Europe: the changing nature of wildfire risk calls for a shift in policy focus from suppression to prevention. Komac, B., Migliorini, M., Schwarze, R., Sigmund, Z., Awad, C., Chatelon, F. J., Goldammer, J. G., Marcelli, T., Morvan, D., Simeoni, A., Thiebes, B. In: Rossi, J.-L. (Ed.). UNDRR, Brussels, 2020.
Socioeconomic and data challenges: Disaster risk reduction in Europe. Altshuler, A., Amaratunga, D., Arefyeva, E., Dolce, M., Sjastad Hagen, J., Komac, B., Migliorini, M., Mihaljević, J., Mysiak, J., Fra Paleo, U., Pelling, M., Rossi, J.-L., Siegmund, A., Sigmund, Z., Sparf, J., Alonso Vicario, S. UNDRR, Brussels, 2019.

BOOKS

The geography of Slovenia: small but diverse: Natural hazards in Slovenia, Landforms in Slovenia, Climate and weather in Slovenia, Soils of Slovenia. Komac, B., Breg Valjavec, M., Ferk, M., Hrvatin, M.Lipar, M., Pipan, P., Tičar, J., Pavšek, M., Topole, M., Volk Bahun, M., Zorn, M. Springer, Dordrecht, 2020.
Triglavski ledenik [The Triglav Glacier] Geografija Slovenije 30, Gabrovec, M., Pavšek, M., Topole, M., Triglav Čekada, M., Zorn, M. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2014
Izobraževanje o naravnih nesrečah v Evropi [Education on natural hazards in Europe], Georitem 18, Komac, B., Zorn, M., Ciglič, R. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2011.
Geografski vidiki poplav v Sloveniji [Geographical aspects of floods in Slovenia], Geografija Slovenije 20, Komac, B., Natek, K., Zorn, M. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2008.
Zemeljski plazovi v Sloveniji [Landslides in Slovenia], Georitem 8, Zorn, M., Komac, B. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2008.
Pobočni procesi in človek [Slope processes and man], Geografija Slovenije 15, Komac, B., Zorn, M.. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2007.
Dolec kot značilna oblika dolomitnega površja [A dell as a characteristic landform], Geografija Slovenije 13, Komac, B. Založba ZRC, Ljubljana, 2006.