River levees play a crucial role in flood protection, but their vulnerability to failure is often underestimated or not fully accounted for. There is a clear need for improved methodologies that can provide a more comprehensive evaluation of levee performance and vulnerability to different failure mechanisms at various scales, from individual critical sections to the entire river basin. This would support more targeted and cost-effective risk reduction interventions and levee management strategies in the context of climate change adaptation.

The main research topic of this project is the multi-level and multi-factorial evaluation of river levee performance for climate change adaptation. Specifically, the project aims to develop an innovative procedure to assess the vulnerability and performance of river levees against different failure mechanisms, taking into account factors that are often overlooked in current practices.

The research will combine advanced numerical modeling, enhancement of geophysical/geotechnical survey procedures, remote sensing data, and a multi-criteria decision approach within a GIS framework.

The overall goal is to provide operational tools and guidelines for more effective levee risk assessment and management, improving flood resilience under climate change scenarios.‬‬

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Candidates with a background in civil/environmental engineering, geology, or related fields, and a keen interest in tackling complex problems at the intersection of geotechnics, hydraulics, and climate change adaptation, would be well-suited for this project. The ideal candidate for this research project should possess:

• a strong background in soil mechanics,

• experience in interpreting geophysical and geotechnical investigation data for characterizing soil properties and heterogeneities,

• Knowledge of remote sensing techniques and GIS tools for spatial data analysis and mapping.

• The knowledge of Italian (at least level B1)

For this scholarship it is mandatory a period of research abroad of 6 months.

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The research team comprises a multidisciplinary group including:

Prof. Francesca Ceccato (Geotechnical Engineering)

Prof. Giorgio Cassiani (Geophysics)

Prof. Simonetta Cola (Geotechnical Engineering)

Dr. Giorgia Dalla Santa (Geotechnical Engineering)

Dr. Luca Peruzzo (Geophysics)

Dr. Lorenzo Picco (Hydraulic Engineering and River Morphology)

Dr. Mattia Pivato (Hydraulic Engineering)

The project will also involve close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including river basin authorities, regional governments, and civil protection agencies, ensuring the research outcomes are aligned with practical needs and can effectively contribute to improved flood risk management strategies.

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