Call for Book Chapters
Rethinking the Geography of Risk: Theories, Practices, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Edited by
Antonella Pietta
(Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Italy)
Fabio Fatichenti
(Department of Humanities, Ancient and Modern Languages, Literature and Cultures, University of Perugia, Italy)
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to announce that a Call for Book Chapters is now open for the volume titled “Rethinking the Geography of Risk: Theories, Practices, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives” (Language: English), which will be published as part of the Geographies of the Anthropocene book series (Vol. 9, no. 1, 2026).
The volume is edited by Fabio Fatichenti (Department of Humanities, Ancient and Modern Languages, Literature and Cultures, University of Perugia, Italy) and Antonella Pietta (Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Italy).
Proposal deadline: November 30, 2025
Scope:
In the 1940s, pioneering studies began to focus on the socioeconomic effects of natural hazards, introducing the concept of social vulnerability (White & Hass, 1975; Hewitt & Burton, 1971; Burton & Kates, 1978). In the 1970s, the French School of Geography introduced a new approach known as the “geography of risk,” which redefined the analysis of extreme natural phenomena by placing greater emphasis on the role of human factors (Tricart, 1978; Veyret & Reghezza, 2005; Vogt & Vogt, 1978; Flageollet, 1988; Escourrou, 1986; Pagney, 1994; Lamarre, 1997; Vigneau, 2005; Bravard, 2000).
This field of study explores the socioeconomic and institutional dimensions of risk, highlighting their relationship with the effects of natural events that, in vulnerable contexts, evolve into disasters. The geography of risk is traditionally addressed in academia through a multidisciplinary approach that combines the perspective of physical geography, which focuses on the material aspects of natural phenomena, with that of human geography, which examines their social and cultural implications.
This integrated approach considers risk as a complex phenomenon rooted in territorial ecosystems and socio-environmental vulnerability.
In the 1990s, the geography of risk was further enriched through dialogue with other disciplines, such as sociology and psychology, deepening the study of perceptions, cultural representations, and territorial dynamics.
In the early twenty-first century, the geography of risk underwent significant conceptual and methodological advancements. The increasing visibility of climate change impacts has intensified academic and institutional attention toward territories characterized by latent or cumulative risks (Marincioni, 2007; Bagliani, Pietta & Bonati, 2019; De Pascale, 2022; Gioia, 2023; Kelman, 2020, 2022; Greenberg & Schneider, 2025; Pérez-Morales et al., 2025). Recent research has progressively focused on urban and peri-urban contexts, where environmental pressures, social inequalities, and governance challenges intersect (Marchetti et al., 2020; Colocci, 2024; Gioia & Guadagno, 2024; Scolobig & Balsiger, 2024).
Growing awareness of socio-environmental risks within communities has underscored the need for collaborative and adaptive forms of risk governance involving scholars, policymakers, and civil society. These developments have consolidated the geography of risk as a mature interdisciplinary domain that examines the dynamic interrelations among environmental transformations, social vulnerability, and territorial resilience (De Pascale & Mercatanti, 2024; Rufat et al., 2025).
This volume seeks to gather theoretical and practical insights into the multiple dimensions of risk, understood as a dynamic intersection of environmental, social, cultural, and technological factors. We invite contributions that explore empirical, theoretical, and methodological perspectives on how risks are perceived, represented, and managed across different spatial and temporal scales.
The aim is to foster a broad interdisciplinary dialogue that connects approaches from physical, human, and economic geography with inputs from the social sciences, planning, environmental studies, and digital innovation. By encouraging diverse analytical frameworks and case studies, the volume intends to provide a synthetic overview of current challenges and future perspectives in the geography of risk.
Suggested topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Conceptual frameworks
- The Anthropocene and new geographies of risk
- Human–environment relationships and territorial co-evolution
- Inequality, marginalization, resilience, vulnerability, and adaptive capacity
- Barriers and limits (ecological, socioeconomic, technological, etc.)
- Justice, environmental justice, climate justice, equity, and ethics
Types of risks
- Hydrogeological, seismic, volcanic, climatic, etc.
- Technological and industrial (pollution, accidents, critical infrastructure)
- Health and epidemiological
- Socio-political aspects and territorial conflicts
Perceptions and representations
- Risk perception and awareness
- Media, cultural, and artistic narratives
- Collective memories, fears, and territorial imagery
- From awareness to action
Governance and management
- Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)
- Mitigation policies
- Adaptation policies
- Multi-risk approach
- Ecological transition
- Planning and territorial management
- Regulatory, institutional, and policy instruments
Methods and tools
- Cartography, GIS, remote sensing, open data
- Modelling, scenarios, and simulations
- Participatory approaches and citizen science
- Risk education and communication
- Gamification
Emerging perspectives and research horizons
- Interconnected and systemic risks (climate change, health, energy, food, water)
- Technological innovations (AI, big data, digital twin) for forecasting and monitoring
- Socio-ecological transition and new vulnerabilities
- Global risks and territorial interdependencies
Extended bibliography
Alexander, D., Gaillard, J. C., Kelman, I., Marincioni, F., Penning-Rowsell, E., van Niekerk, D., & Vinnell, L. J. (2021). Academic publishing in disaster risk reduction: Past, present, and future. Disasters, 45(1), 5–18.
Bagliani, M., Pietta, A., & Bonati, S. (2019). Il cambiamento climatico in prospettiva geografica: Aspetti fisici, impatti, politiche. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Bartolini, A., & De Santis, G. (2022). Umbria fragile tra terremoti e ricostruzioni: Il caso della Valnerina. Perugia: Morlacchi.
Carpenter, S., Walker, B., Anderies, J. M., & Abel, N. (2001). From metaphor to measurement: Resilience of what to what? Ecosystems, 4(8), 765–781.
Celata, F., & Gioia, E. (2024). Resist or retreat? Beach erosion and the climate crisis in Italy: Scenarios, impacts and challenges. Applied Geography, 169, 103335.
Charpentier, Ph., & Fatichenti, F. (2023). Pour une éducation géographique à l’Anthropocène à l’école primaire en France et en Italie: Situation actuelle, critique et perspectives. L’Information Géographique, 87(1), 93–113. Paris: Armand Colin.
Cisternas, P. C., Cifuentes, L. A., Bronfman, N. C., Repetto, P. B., & Castañeda, J. V. (2024). Household preparedness for multi-natural hazards in coastal communities. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 109, 104584.
Colocci, A. (2024). An interconnected path for social-ecological systems: Decoding human-nature interactions to foster a resilient and sustainable development. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
Colocci, A., Pietta, A., & Bagliani, M. (2025). Exploring the formal development of regional policies and their potential to drive local change: Insights on climate change adaptation in Italy. The Geographical Journal, 191, e12614.
Cutter, S. L., Barnes, L., Berry, M., Burton, C., Evans, E., Tate, E., & Webb, J. (2008). A place-based model for understanding community resilience to natural disasters. Global Environmental Change, 18(4), 598–606.
Cutter, S. L., Burton, C. G., & Emrich, C. T. (2010). Disaster resilience indicators for benchmarking baseline conditions. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 7(1).
Cutter, S. L., Ash, K. D., & Emrich, C. T. (2014). The geographies of community disaster resilience. Global Environmental Change, 29, 65–77.
De Pascale, F. (2022). Geografie del rischio e della vulnerabilità: Approcci teorici ed esperienze didattiche a confronto. Firenze: Pontecorboli (Collana Atlante).
De Pascale, F., & Dattilo, V. (2021). The geoethical semiosis of the Anthropocene: The Peircean triad for a reconceptualization of the relationship between human beings and the environment. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 111(3), 647–654.
De Pascale, F., & Mercatanti, L. (2024). Integrated geographies of risk, natural hazards and sustainability. Sustainability. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/sustai_naturalhazards
Dhar, T., Bornstein, L., Lizarralde, G., & Nazimuddin, S. M. (2023). Risk perception: A lens for understanding adaptive behaviour in the age of climate change? Narratives from the Global South. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 95, 103886.
Folke, C., Carpenter, S. R., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Chapin, T., & Rockström, J. (2010). Resilience thinking: Integrating resilience, adaptability and transformability. Ecology and Society, 15(4), 20.
Forino, G., Calandra, D., & Bonati, S. (Eds.). (2018). Governance of risk, hazards and disasters: Trends in theory and practice. London: Routledge.
Gioia, E. (2023). Le prospettive geografiche della riduzione del rischio disastri: Comunità, governance, sostenibilità ambientale e risorse economiche. Rende: Il Sileno Edizioni (Geographies of Anthropocene).
Gioia, E., Casareale, C., Colocci, A., & Marincioni, F. (2021). Citizens’ perception of geohazards in Veneto Region (NE Italy) in the context of climate change. Geosciences, 11(10), 424. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11100424
Gioia, E., Colocci, A., Casareale, C., Marchetti, N., & Marincioni, F. (2022). The role of the socio-economic context in the spread of the first wave of COVID-19 in the Marche Region (central Italy). International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 82, 103324.
Gioia, E., & Guadagno, E. (2024). Perception of climate change impacts, urbanization, and coastal planning in the Gaeta Gulf (central Tyrrhenian Sea): A multidimensional approach. AIMS Geosciences, 10(1), 80–106.
Greenberg, M. R., & Schneider, D. (2025). Coal mines and multi-faceted risks in the United States: On a path toward a sustainable future or emptying out? Sustainability, 17, 1658. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041658
Guadagno, L., & Guadagno, E. (2021). Migration, housing, and disaster: Risk reduction and creation in Southern Italy’s Apennines. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 61, 102305.
Kelman, I. (2020). Disaster by choice: How our actions turn natural hazards into catastrophes. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Kelman, I. (2022). Disaster by choice: Why disasters are not natural [Katastrophen hausgemacht: Wieso Katastrophen nicht natürlich sind]. Journal of Torrent, Avalanche, Landslide and Rock Fall Engineering / Zeitschrift für Wildbach-, Lawinen-, Erosions- und Steinschlagschutz, 190, 24–29.
Lechowska, E. (2018). What determines flood risk perception? A review of factors of flood risk perception and relations between its basic elements. Natural Hazards, 94(3), 1341–1366.
Lelow, G., & Marincioni, F. (2025). The European Emergency Number 112: Exploring the potential of crowd-sourced information for emergency management. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 120(2), 105376.
Marchetti, N., Marconi, M., Colocci, A., Gatto, B., Principi, P., & Marincioni, F. (2020). Analisi del rischio e pianificazione del territorio locale: Il caso studio del Comune di Pescara. In A. Gallia (Ed.), Territorio: rischio/risorsa (pp. 165–184). Roma: Laboratorio geocartografico “Giuseppe Caraci”, Dalla mappa al GIS, N. 6.
Marincioni, F. (2007). Information technologies and the sharing of disaster knowledge: The critical role of professional culture. Disasters, 31(4), 459–476.
Meerow, S., Newell, J. P., & Stults, M. (2016). Defining urban resilience: A review. Landscape and Urban Planning, 147, 38–49.
Pérez-Morales, A., Gil-Guirado, S., & Cantos, J. O. (2025). Geography matters: Geographically based flood studies in Spain between 1990 and 2023—A bibliometric/hermeneutical analysis. Natural Hazards, 121, 19937–19966. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-025-07561-0
Räsänen, A., Lein, H., Bird, D., & Setten, G. (2020). Conceptualizing community in disaster risk management. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 45, 101485.
Rufat, S., Fekete, A., & Enderlin, E. (2025). Addressing the social vulnerability gap in disaster risk perception. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 129, 105789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105789
Scolobig, A., & Balsiger, J. (2024). Emerging trends in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation higher education. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 105, 104383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104383
Sharifi, A. (2016). A critical review of selected tools for assessing community resilience. Ecological Indicators, 69, 629–647.
Sharifi, A., & Yamagata, Y. (2016). On the suitability of assessment tools for guiding communities towards disaster resilience. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 18, 115–124.
Sjöberg, L. (2000). The methodology of risk perception research. Quality and Quantity, 34(4), 407–418.
Slovic, P. (1987). Perception of risk. Science, 236(4799), 280–285.
van Valkengoed, A. M., & Steg, L. (2019). Meta-analyses of factors motivating climate change adaptation behaviour. Nature Climate Change, 9, 158–163.
Veyret, Y., & Reghezza-Zitt, M. (2005). Aléas et risques dans l’analyse géographique. Annales des Mines, 61–69.
Vigneau, P. (1997). Le réchauffement global: Entre principe de précaution et rigueur scientifique? Bulletin de l’Association de Géographes Français, 82(4), 497–509.
Walker, B., Gunderson, L., Kinzig, A., Folke, C., Carpenter, S., & Schultz, L. (2006). A handful of heuristics and some propositions for understanding resilience in social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society, 11(1), 15.
Important dates:
November 30, 2025: Book Chapter Proposal deadline
December 15, 2025: Acceptance/Rejection Notification
February 15, 2026: Full Chapter Submission
March 31, 2026: Review Notification
April 30, 2026: Final Version Chapter Submission
May 2026: Final e-book version available
Submission Procedure:
Interested authors should submit their proposals (max 500 words) by November 30, 2025, explaining the main topic and the objectives of the chapter.
The manuscript proposals (Word) must be sent to the following address: geographiesofanthropocene@gmail.com.
Acceptance/Rejection notification will be sent to the authors by December 15, 2025. After the acceptance notification, authors should submit full accepted chapters by February 15, 2026 formatting their manuscripts following the Editor’s guidelines. The manuscript word count must be between 4500 – 6000 words. This includes tables, illustrations, references, etc. All submissions will be reviewed in a double-blind manner.
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