Community building is an overarching theme of EUROVOLC. EUROVOLC will initiate integrating activities that will build resilient, sustained connections between the volcanological entities. We aim to foster collaboration and encourage harmonization and standardisation of data, research methodologies and products, and will develop standards for estimation and management of volcanic hazard and its communication to authorities, the public and media.

The Community Building activities of EUROVOLC will deliver a transformation in both access to world-class infrastructures and, critically, the optimisation of state-of-the-art advances in best practice in volcano monitoring arising from two major recent Framework projects, FUTUREVOLC and MED-SUV. By integrating the research communities from these projects through structured workshops and definition of best practices for volcano monitoring, we will share common and complementary approaches. This will optimise the volcanological research infrastructure, increasing the scientific quality of work done, and thereby improving response to eruption crises.

This optimised, integrated infrastructure will be accessible to the wider scientific community through transparent and efficient online access programs. This wider access will promote a two-way benefit, with the wider community having access to best data and practice, and research infrastructures will receive exposure to cutting edge developments in new fields which would otherwise take much longer to permeate into their methodologies.

Community building is primarily the subject of the following Work Packages:

Community Building Activities

Community Building Activities include:

    • Collaboration and networking between volcano observatories and volcano research institutions: meetings, workshops, including workshops with parallel Integrating Infrastructure Initiative (I3) projects
    • Training activities (e.g. summer schools)
    • Visiting scientists among observatories and laboratories
    • Engagement of decision makers, end users and the public (dissemination); interaction via web and social media; contact with schools, local/national authorities and non-scientific communities

The EUROVOLC summer schools will produce a new generation of researchers educated in both the application of best practice in volcanological research and transnational cooperation. The Early-Stage Researchers who will be the primary beneficiary of the summer schools will thereby develop collaborative links with the key volcanological research network in Europe, and reciprocally, outstanding talent will be nurtured and developed to realise full potential. The educational impact of the EUROVOLC project will be further enhanced through outreach activities, where the compelling nature of volcanology will inspire potential young researchers and improve population awareness to volcanic risk.