Development of ecosystem-based risk governance concepts with respect to natural hazards and climate impacts (GreenRisk4ALPs)

Description:

Mountain ecosystems and forests are known to fulfil an important role in natural hazard and risk reduction; however, their efficiency in hazard regulation may be threatened by land use and climatic changes. So far, only a small number of strategies on how to integrate forests in risk management, balancing the numerous interests, demands and costs have been developed. An adequate integration of forests into risk reduction strategies is crucial for a sustainable development of the Alpine Space, addressing projected developments such as climate change and increasing spatial demands.

Thus, the overarching goal of GreenRisk4Alps is the development of forest‐based recommendations and guidelines to support risk management with respect to natural hazards and climate impacts. The project aims to help practitioners not only to address current risk conditions but also to adapt forest management to future changes driven by climate change (i.e. changes in the protection forest structure and in the occurrence of gravity-driven natural hazards). The close integration of relevant actors not only ensures to tailor the research according to their needs, but also contributes to an increased involvement and awareness of people. The project GreenRisk4alps delivers and tests the following outputs in six study areas located throughout the Alps: 

• development of scenarios for climate and forest change optimised for the Alpine region
• a new risk assessment procedure which takes into account the presence of protection forests, integrating and confronting costs and protective effects of the common risk reduction options (technical, ecosystem-based and avoidance) 
• a Forest and Risk Management Workbook and web-based tools for practitioners 
• a strategy for the communication of solutions for situations with interest conflicts or societal resistances

 

 

 

Project information

Lead

Federal Research and Training Center for Forest, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Austria

Partners

• DISAFA, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin (ITA)
• EURAC, Department of Earth Observation – EURAC Research (ITA)
• IRSTEA, National research institute of science and technology for environment and agriculture, Grenoble regional centre, IRSTEA (FRA)
• LWF, Bavarian State Institute of Forestry (GER)
• MFM, Forestry company Franz-Mayr-Melnhof-Saurau (AT)
• SFM, Safe Mountain Foundation (ITA)
• UL, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry and Renewable Resources (SLO)
• UGOE, University of Göttingen, Department of Forest and Nature Conservation Policy (GER)
• WLS, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (CH)
• WLV, Austrian Service for Torrent and Avalanche Control (AT)
• ZGS, Slovenia Forest Service (SLO)

Source of funding

Interreg Alpine Space- European Regional Development Fund