Through ARIPAR-GIS the quantified area risk analysis supports land-use planning activities

The paper first summarises the main aspects of the ARIPAR methodology whose steps can be applied to quantify the impact on a territory of major accide nt risks due to processing, storing and transporting dangerous substances. Then the capabilities of the new decision support tool ARIPAR-GIS, implemen ting the mentioned procedure, are described, together with its main feature s and types of results, These are clearly shown through a short description of the updated ARIPAR study (reference year 1994), in which the impact of changes due to industrial and transportation dynamics on the Ravenna territ ory in Italy were evaluated. The brief explanation of how results have been used by local administrations offers the opportunity to discuss about adva ntages of the quantitative area risk analysis tool in supporting activities of risk management, risk control and land-use planning. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.