Program

GEOS Program Overview

GEOS 2026 takes place over three days, from Monday, August 31 to Wednesday, September 2, with an informal welcome, including registration and an icebreaker event, on the evening of August 30.

Day 1 (Monday, August 31^st) – Science & Engineering of Climate-Driven Geohazards

Day 1 establishes the scientific and technical foundation for GEOS with three sessions exploring global trends in climate-driven hazards, advances in experimental approaches from laboratory to field, and modelling of hazard and risk across spatial scales. These sessions provide a process-based and quantitative understanding of geohazards in a changing climate.

Day 2 (Tuesday, September 1^st) – Interaction, Innovation & Exchange

Day 2 shifts to interaction and exchange. In the morning, an ideation workshop brings participants together to discuss shared challenges and explore opportunities for future research collaboration, with a focus on stakeholder-relevant needs. The session is designed to foster networking, partnership-building, and the development of new collaborative initiatives. The afternoon features the Poster Social, a dynamic and informal showcase of the latest results from project partners and invited contributors across four continents. Day 2 also hosts the Apex Lecture, celebrating scientists who are driving the field forward at the height of their careers. The day closes with the symposium banquet.

Day 3 (Wednesday, September 2^nd) – From Science to Application & Future Solutions

Day 3 focuses on translating knowledge into impact. Three sessions will address early warning systems and non-structural risk reduction, sustainable mitigation approaches including Nature-based Solutions, and emerging technologies alongside evolving policy and governance needs.

_________________________________________________________________________

Program in detail

Day 0 - Sunday, August 30

14:00 - 16:00
Registration

16:30 – 19:00
Ice breaker

_____________________________________________________________

Day 1 – Monday, August 31
Global Context for Climate-Driven Hazards

08:30 – 09:00
Opening

09:00-09:10 - Dr. Graham Gilbert, NGI & Dr. Luca Piciullo, NGI/OsloMet - What is GEOS?

09:10-09:20 - NGI Director Dr. Lars Andresen - Welcome

09:20-09:30 - Natural Hazard Director Dr. Dominik Lang - Natural Hazard research activities

09:00 – 09:30
Keynote 1: Title TBD - Dr. Stefan Hochrainer-Stigler
Principal Research Scholar, Systemic Risk and Resilience Research Group, IIASA (Austria)

10:00 – 10:30
Break

10:30 – 12:00
Session 1 – Global Context & Emerging Trends in Climate-Driven Geohazards
This session provides an overview of how climate change is influencing the frequency, intensity, and spatial distribution of geohazards worldwide. It will highlight global and regional trends, key drivers, and emerging risks. Contributions may include large-scale analyses and comparative studies from different contexts.

Chairs: Dr. Jean-Sébastien L'Heureux, NGI (Norway) - Prof. Jean Hutchinson, Queen's University (Canada)

10:30-10:45 - Dr. Swapnamita Choudhury - Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (India) - Rainfall-Triggered Debris Flow of the Dharali Disaster on 5th August 2025: A Climate Change Warning from the Himalaya

10:45-11:00 - Dr. Satoru Yamaguchi - National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (Japan) - Overview of the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience’s Activities (tentative title)

11:00-11:15 - Prof. Louise Vick - University of Tromsø (Norway) - Climate adaptation pathways in response to the changing state of geohazards in northern Norway

11:15-11:30 - Dr. Zak Ghazoui-Schaus - British Antarctic Survey (UK) - TBD

11:30-12:00 - Pleneary questions and discussion with all speakers

12:00 – 13:00
Lunch

13:00-14:30
Session 2 – Experiments: From Laboratory to Field
This session focuses on advancing understanding of geohazard processes through laboratory experiments, controlled testing, and field-based observations. It emphasizes the integration of experimental results with monitoring systems and real-world data. Contributions linking laboratory insights to field conditions, and their implications for hazard assessment and forecasting, are particularly encouraged.

Chairs: Dr. Satoru Yamaguchi, NIED (Japan) - Dr. Dylan Mikesell, NGI (Norway)

13:00-13:15 - TBD

13:15-13:30 - Prof. Naoki Sakai - National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (Japan) - Bridging the Gap between Large-scale Rainfall Experiments and Real-world Slope Failures: Insights from a Full-scale Rainfall Simulator

13:30-13:45 - Prof. Chan-Young Yune - Kangwon National University (South Korea) - Evaluating Debris Flow Interactions with Flexible Barriers: Experimental Insights for Real-World Hazard Mitigation

13:45-14:00 - Prof. Ana Luiza Coelho Netto - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) - Experimental Insights into Post-Wildfire Slope Hydrology and Debris Flow Initiation in Brazil

14:00-14:30 - Plenary questions and discussion with all speakers

14:30-15:00
Break

15:00-16:30
Session 3 – Modelling Hazard and Risk Across Spatial Scales
This session explores modelling approaches used to simulate geohazard processes and assess hazard and risk across spatial and temporal scales. Topics include model development, calibration, and integration with experimental and observational data. Contributions addressing scaling challenges - from site-specific analyses to regional and global applications - are particularly welcome.

Chairs: Dr. Joon-Young Park, KIGAM (South Korea) - Dr. Jordan Aaron, ETH (Switzerland)

15:00-15:15 - Prof. Jana Sillmann - CICERO (Norway) & University of Hamburg (Germany) - Climate Extremes & Risks: From Global to Local

15:15-15:30 - Dr. Joon-Young Park - Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (South Korea) - Machine Learning Applications for Urban Geohazard Modeling in South Korea: Case Studies of Debris-Flow Hazard and Land Subsidence Susceptibility Assessment

15:30-15:45 - Dr. Trine Jahr Hegdahl - Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (Norway) - From Forecast to Impact: Modelling Flood and Landslide Hazard Across Scales in Norway (tentative title)

15:45-16:00 - TBD

16:00-16:30 - Plenary questions and discussion with all speakers.

_____________________________________________________________

Day 2 – Tuesday, September 1
Knowledge to Action

09:00 – 09:30
Keynote 2

09:30 – 12:00
Ideation workshop – Responding to current stakeholder challenges through applied research

12:00 – 13:00
Lunch

13:00 – 14:00
Ideation workshop synthesis

14:00 – 14:30
Break

14:30 – 15:00
Invited Apex lecture - Prof. Jordan Aaron, ETH Zurich - Landslide Hazard Management for an Uncertain Future: New Insights into the Failure and Emplacement Mechanisms of Soil and Rock Slope Failures

15:00 – 17:00
Poster Social

18:00
Symposium banquet

_____________________________________________________________

Day 3 – Wednesday, September 2
From Science to Application & Impact

09:00 – 09:30
Keynote 3: Education and capacity building for climate-hazard resilience

Prof. Michele Calvello, University of Salerno, Department of Civil Engineering (Italy) - Educational initiatives for landslide risk knowledge

09:30 – 10:00
Break

10:00 – 11:30
Session 4 – Early Warning Systems & Non-Structural Risk Reduction
This session focuses on the development and implementation of early warning systems as key tools for non-structural risk reduction. It covers forecasting approaches, warning dissemination, decision-support systems, and organizational frameworks that support effective risk management. Contributions linking science, operational services, and governance or institutional practices are particularly encouraged.

Chairs: Farrokh Nadim, NGI (Norway) - Graziella Devoli, NVE (Norway)

10:00-10:15 - Prof. Fausto Guzzetti - Durham University (UK) - From Forecasts to Action - A Personal Perspective

10:15-10:30 - Dr. Luciana Londe - National Center for Monitoring and Alerts for Natural Disasters, CEMADEN, (Brazil) - Oral History Unveiling Different Communication Strategies for Early Warning Systems

10:30-10:45 - Dr. Yong-Suk Song - Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (South Korea) - Introduction to the Landslide Early Warning System Developed by KIGAM Using Predicted Rainfall Information

10:45-11:00 - Dr. Luca Piciullo - Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Norway) - IoT-based Early Warning Systems: A Case Study from Norway

11:00-11:30 - Plenary questions and discussion with all speakers.

11:30 – 12:30
Lunch

12:30 – 14:00
Session 5 – Sustainable Risk Reduction: Nature-Based Solutions & Adaptation Strategies (co-convened with the NATURACT project)
This session focuses on sustainable approaches to geohazard risk reduction, including Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), hybrid measures, and climate adaptation strategies. It will explore the effectiveness, limitations, and real-world implementation of green and grey solutions across different environments. Contributions linking engineering, environmental, and societal perspectives are particularly encouraged.

Chairs: Amy Oen, NGI (Norway) - Tae-Hyuk Kwon, KAIST (South Korea)

12:30-12:45 - Prof. Karin Helms - Oslo School of Architecture and Design, AHO, (Norway) - NATURACT Research Case Studies: Nature-Based Solutions in Aurland, Hølen (Vestby), and the Mesna River (Lillehammer) Through Community Engagement Processes

12:45-13:00 - Prof. Uday Kala Venkata - Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (India) - Nature-Based Solutions: Framework for Slope Mitigation in the Indian Himalayan Region

13:00-13:15 - Prof. Ryoko Niishi - Niigata University - Research Institute for Natural Hazards and Disaster Recovery (Japan) - Soil and Woody Debris Runoff Mitigation by Japanese Cedar Forests in Sediment Disasters and Associated Dieback

13:15-13:30 - TBD

13:30-14:00 - Plenary questions and discussion with all speakers.

14:00 – 14:30
Break

14:30 – 16:00
Session 6 – Future Directions: Innovation, Policy & Education
This session further explores how advances in geohazard science and engineering can be translated into meaningful societal outcomes. Discussions will focus on strengthening the connections between research, policy, education, and capacity development, ensuring that knowledge reaches the people and institutions responsible for managing risk. Topics include human-centred early warning systems, governance and policy frameworks, municipal and community capacity building, international cooperation, and approaches for developing resilient and climate-adaptive societies.

Chairs: Graham Gilbert, NGI (Norway) - Luca Piciullo, NGI (Norway)

14:30-14:45 - Prof. Ravi Sinha - Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India) - TBD

14:45-15:00 - Dr. Silvia Saito - National Center for Monitoring and Alerts for Natural Disasters, CEMADEN, (Brazil) - Multisectoral Public Policies for Building Resilient Cities

15:00-15:15 - TBD

15:15-15:30 - Livia Puglisi - Office of the former German President Christian Wulff (Germany) - Beyond Crisis Response: The challenges democracies face in preparing for foreseeable risks - from a German perspective

15:30-16:00 - Plenary questions and discussion with all speakers.

16:00 – 16:30
The Road Ahead and Closing Plenary

Dr. Suzanne Lacasse, managing Director of NGI 1991- 2011 (Norway)