Science and action on the ground: CIMA Research Foundation and WeWorld together for risk prevention

CIMA Research Foundation and WeWorld have signed a framework cooperation agreement to bring together scientific knowledge and action on the ground, with the aim of strengthening risk prevention, climate resilience, and the response capacity of territories and communities. 

Understanding risk is the first step towards preventing and addressing it. This means understanding the hazards that may affect a given area, their potential evolution and impacts, and the factors that make people, communities, and ecosystems more vulnerable. 

But knowledge alone is not enough. To become an effective tool for prevention, it must connect with the realities on the ground: it must be translated into decisions, capacities, tools, and actions shaped by local contexts and needs. 

This complementarity lies at the heart of the collaboration between CIMA Research Foundation and WeWorld, which have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a common framework for cooperation in the areas of disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, climate resilience, and ecosystem protection. 

CIMA Research Foundation brings its expertise in scientific research, environmental risk analysis, technological innovation, and the development of tools supporting risk prevention and ecosystem protection. 

WeWorld brings its experience in development cooperation and humanitarian action, together with its presence on the ground and its work with communities, organisations, and local institutions. 

The shared objective is to connect these areas of expertise so that scientific knowledge, risk analysis, and climate information can increasingly be translated into actions developed together with local actors, helping to strengthen the capacities and resilience of territories and communities. 

“Scientific research becomes a tool for adaptation when our ability to observe change, understand its impacts, and anticipate possible scenarios translates into decisions that help reduce risk. For this to happen, however, knowledge must connect with territories and the people who live in them. A forecast must be understandable and lead to action, just as a strategy must take different needs and vulnerabilities into account. Communities are not merely exposed to risk: they are part of the response. Our collaboration with WeWorld stems precisely from this complementarity, bringing together research, institutions, and communities and combining data, models, and technologies to develop truly effective prevention and adaptation measures,” says Luca Ferraris, President of CIMA Research Foundation. 

“The impacts of the climate crisis and the risks associated with extreme events such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires do not affect everyone in the same way: their consequences are more severe where vulnerabilities and inequalities already exist and where access to resources and services is more limited. For WeWorld, prevention therefore means acting before an emergency occurs, together with communities and local institutions, so that they have the knowledge, tools, and capacities they need to address risks and protect what matters most to them. Our collaboration with CIMA Research Foundation enables us to combine scientific knowledge with our experience on the ground and to turn data and analysis into increasingly targeted interventions, designed around local contexts and the people who live in them,” says Stefania Piccinelli, Head of the International Partnerships and Strategy Department at WeWorld. 

The agreement identifies several areas in which the expertise of the two organisations can converge: from disaster risk reduction and preparedness to climate resilience, ecosystem management, conservation and restoration, as well as strengthening the capacities of local institutions and communities. 

A key element of the partnership will be the connection between the scientific dimension and an in-depth understanding of local contexts. Risk analysis and climate information can support the design and implementation of interventions tailored to the characteristics and needs of different territories. At the same time, engagement with communities and local stakeholders can help ensure that knowledge and tools are oriented towards the concrete needs of those who face these risks. 

The collaboration may include the exchange of information and expertise, joint assessments, the development of shared strategies and projects, and the production of tools, materials, and knowledge products to support development cooperation interventions. 

The agreement also opens the way for innovative pilot initiatives integrating scientific, technological, and community-based approaches, while engaging a broader network of stakeholders, including public institutions, civil society organisations, the research community, international organisations, and the private sector. 

The agreement is grounded in a shared vision: prevention and resilience require both the ability to understand risks and the capacity to act in the contexts where those risks materialise. 

The collaboration between CIMA Research Foundation and WeWorld therefore brings together two complementary forms of expertise: scientific and technological research, and the experience of working alongside communities and institutions on the ground. 

Bringing these perspectives together means closing the gap between knowledge and action and helping to develop prevention and development interventions that are increasingly evidence-informed, sustainable, and firmly rooted in local contexts.