Data4Resilience

Data Challenge

The objective of the Data4Resilience data challenge is to creatively use data from the georeferenced database “EcoPop-ER” (developed as part of the MEMOREC - Resilience and Climate Memory in Emilia-Romagna project) to analyze the impact of climate change on the demographic dynamics of the municipalities in the Emilia-Romagna region over the past twenty years.
MEMOREC is an interdisciplinary project that integrates demographic, climatic, and geographic data to provide an open-access database, useful for those studying the impact of climate change on the population of Emilia-Romagna. The project involves researchers from the Department of Statistical Sciences, the Department of Cultural Heritage, and the Department of History and Cultures. MEMOREC aims to map the sociodemographic vulnerabilities of local communities in relation to extreme climatic events, contributing to the planning of effective territorial policies.
The EcoPop-ER database contains over 5.5 million observations and 516 indicators related to demographic, climatic, and territorial variables concerning the municipalities of Emilia-Romagna, with data covering a significant historical period. This information provides a valuable basis for studying population evolution and climatic conditions in the regional territory.

The database can be freely downloaded from the website: https://site.unibo.it/memorec-resilienza-memoria-climatica-emilia-romagna/en/database

Participation Guidelines

The competition is open to all students of the University of Bologna who are officially enrolled for the 2024-25 academic year in undergraduate and master’s degree programs.
Participation can be individual or in teams of up to three members. Team members do not need to be enrolled in the same degree program or be in the same academic year.
Each participant must develop a project analyzing the impact of climate change on the demographic dynamics of the municipalities in Emilia-Romagna.
Participants are required to submit a project based on the EcoPop-ER database. The project may belong to one or more of the following categories: chart, cartogram, interactive map, dashboard, infographic, statistical model estimation, or other statistical applications.
Along with the product, a supporting report explaining the process followed is required, including any scripts used (e.g., R, Python, C++, or other data processing tools).
For each team member, the name, surname, student ID, and degree program must be provided.
Projects must be submitted by March 31, 2025.

Awards

A panel of experts will evaluate the submitted projects based on originality, methodology, and potential for communication and enhancement of the database.

The top three projects will receive a certificate of award and a gift voucher for University of Bologna merchandise at UniboStore, with a total value of:
- 1st place: UniboStore gift voucher worth €200, plus a certificate of award.
- 2nd place: UniboStore gift voucher worth €100, plus a certificate of award.
- 3rd place: UniboStore gift voucher worth €50, plus a certificate of award.
All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

Interested in Participating but Unsure How to Use the Database?

To help all prospective participants make the most of the database, two online workshops will be organized to present the database's contents and discuss different ways to leverage it for the data challenge. These workshops will take place on Friday, December 6, 2024, and February 28, 2025, at 3 PM. During the workshops, a demo on using the database will be conducted. A final Q&A session with experts will be held on March 21, 2025, at 3 PM for any questions or clarifications.
For more information on workshop participation and registration for the data challenge, please contact Prof. Francesco Scalone at francesco.scalone@unibo.it.

The MEMOREC project – Resilience and Climate Memory in Emilia-Romagna is funded by ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – University of Bologna through the Alma CaRes 2023 fund.