Information and communication technologies and environmental safety: The case of Naples-Vesuvius, Italy

Information and communication technologies are a new force in the investigation and realization of management systems oriented to the socio-economic prediction and mitigation of disaster effects. This article attempts to assess the topic of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in hazardous environments. It identifies an important use to which ICT (text messages) could be put: countering the possibility of risk amplification caused by sensational media reporting. A special case was chosen: the highly urbanized area of Vesuvius and the earthquake hazard in the Naples (Italy) area. Media accounts included the recent ‘Vesuvius countdown’ and related TV reports which caused thousands of alarmed calls to the Civil Protection call center. The long urban history of this area, and the long eruptive history of Vesuvius, together with the emergence of a new Civil Protection system adopting ICTs, including communication strategies and debriefing media (text messaging), all offer intriguing insights into ICTs and disasters.