Objectives of the conference

Since its first edition, in 1999, the Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms has provided a crucial interdisciplinary contribution to improving our understanding of water-related extreme events over the Mediterranean area.

Over the previous editions, the scientific community has achieved enormous success in understanding many of the basic scientific aspects of the triggering, growth, maintenance, and physical impacts of Mediterranean storms, as well as achieving acceptable levels in some of the areas of model prediction concerning storm lifecycles and their hazardous impacts.

The objective of the 2016 edition of the conference, the 15th of the series, is to provide special emphasis to discuss both the current state of knowledge, as well as advancements in multidisciplinary researches and applications, related to Mediterranean risks and hydro-related hazards, such as floods, landslides, coastal flooding and coastal erosion, and their expected impacts on people, society, the environment, and the economy, also with respect to predicted climate changes.

In this new edition we strongly encourage and support the participation of experts in different disciplines, including meteorology, climatology, oceanography, hydrology, geomorphology, sociology, economics, engineering, and the government management sector. Experts from these disciplines will be able to present their own unique perspectives on how to understand and manage water-related disasters across the Mediterranean area.


Issues to be addressed by the 15th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Risks will generally fit within one of the following topic areas:

  • Topic 1: Mediterranean storms: meteorological modelling, operational forecasting of global and climate change effects
  • Topic 2: Recent advancements in monitoring, observations, and analysis of extreme events
  • Topic 3: Floods, flash floods and related hydrological processes: modelling, forecasting, global and climate change effects
  • Topic 4: Rainfall-triggered landslides
  • Topic 5: Coastal dynamics and tsunamis
  • Topic 6: Hydro-related risks: social impacts, responses, adaptation