Home

Welcome to the website of the Risk Analysis group of the Institute of Earth Sciences of the University of Lausanne. This group is part of the Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, and replaces the former Institute of Geomatics and Risk Analysis (IGAR).

Our research focuses on the study of natural hazards and risks induced by surface and atmospheric phenomena, and their perception and impact on society. Our work combines fieldwork, in-situ and remote techniques investigations, laboratory experiments and numerical modelling in order to characterize soil and rock degradation, alteration and dismantling; mainly in the Alpine chain. A better understanding, quantification and forecast of mass wasting processes and related risks in mountainous areas help improve decision making processes, crisis management and disaster risk reduction to build disaster resilient communities. 

Teaching activities include BSc and MSc and level classes at the University of Lausanne regarding natural hazards and risks assessment, risk management, communication, quantification and monitoring. Members of the Risk group also participate in the organization of international conferences, short courses and doctoral schools.

News
  • Welcome Eugène Mettraux (Civil Servant)
    Eugène Mettraux completed a master’s degree in physics at EPFL. His work involves data analysis and applied statistical methods. He spent six months of his civil service in the RISK group under the supervision of Prof. Michel Jaboyedoff. During this time, he led an analysis of …
  • Virtual Geoscience Conference (VGC) 2025
    The sixth Virtual Geoscience Conference came back to the University of Lausanne from the 9th to 12th of September 2025. A full day of short courses on the 9th of …
  • Welcome PhD Student Anuradha Karunakalage
    My name is Anuradha Karunakalage, and I am currently pursuing my doctoral studies as a cotutelle Ph.D. student jointly enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and the University of Lausanne …
  • Welcome Visiting PhD Student Weibo Rao
    Weibo Rao is a PhD student from China university of Geosciences (Wuhan), jointly trained by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (Kiel). His research focuses on developing key technologies for automated …
  • Rock slope and gravity 2025 (RSG-2025): Forecasting and Modelling Large Rock Slope Failures in a Changing Mountain Environment
    Conference site : https://wp.unil.ch/rsg-2025/ 26-28 November 2025 – University of Lausanne Recent catastrophic rock, rock-ice or rock-debris avalanches highlight the urgent need to improve detection, monitoring, and modeling of large-scale …
Blog