Integrating Behaviour into Multirisk Decision-Making: A STSM at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Serena Tagliacozzo, supported by COST Action CA24163 CROSS-CASCADE, conducted a two-week Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and partner institutions in the Netherlands. The STSM focused on laying the groundwork for a framework that accounts for how behavioural responses by individuals and critical infrastructure agencies shape the cascading impacts of multiple hazards in a multirisk, multistakeholder environment characterised by deep uncertainty

During the mission a series of one-to-one meetings with junior and senior researchers were held at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Delft University of Technology, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, and Utrecht University.

Discussions unfolded around four main themes. At the Environment Institute (IVM) of VU Amsterdam, meetings explored how behavioural and cognitive elements could be integrated into GEB, a large-scale agent-based socio-hydrological model simulating roughly 10 million farming households. At Utrecht University and TU Delft, conversations with examined how Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways for Multi-Risk approaches might be strengthened by behavioural and neurocognitive theory. At IHE Delft, discussions with addressed how climate services can be better tailored to the operational needs of water agencies. Finally, other meetings with on risk perception, framing, and communication.

The mission generated several concrete avenues for future collaboration and strengthened ties between researchers working on multirisk decision-making across the Netherlands and set the stage for the next phase of collaborative work under CROSS-CASCADE.

Serena is grateful to Dr Marleen De Ruiter for her support as a host and to all colleagues met during the visit for their generosity and time, and to the CROSS-CASCADE partnership for supporting this Short-Term Scientific Mission.