IFKIS-Hydro

Manual gauging station for the local observation in the area of south Simplon (Photo: M. Jeisy)

Background

In Switzerland, floods and debris flows cause yearly damage amounting to millions of Swiss Francs. Impacts of such events can be reduced by intervention plans and corresponding measures such as the use of construction machines, water conduction or evacuation and road closures. But that needs specific local and rapidly available information on precipitation and discharge.

Therefore, IFKIS-Hydro, based on the positive experience from avalanche warning (IFKIS: intercantonal early warning and crisis information system in the domain of avalanches), has been developed as an information and warning system for hydrological hazards. For people responsible for security and intervention on-site, this provides a means of coping with hydrological events in small and medium-sized catchments.

Topics

IFKIS-Hydro helps to combine different information like the general hazard situation, weather forecasts, discharge predictions or measurements and specific local observations. Thereby best possible details about the current and foreseeable flood and debris flow incident in a certain area are achieved. Furthermore organizational measures are supported.

Areas

IFKIS-Hydro was used so far in different regions (Valais, Glarus, Zurich, Bern, Liechtenstein). Several discussions with other interested cantons and with the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN point towards a common strategy. Finally, IFKIS-Hydro is part of different efforts in order to enhance coping with flood events together. 

construction work at the main station

IFKIS-Sihl

Due to construction work at the main station Löwenstrasse in Zurich the discharge capacity of the river Sihl was reduced by approximately 40% (critical building phase 2008 - April 2011). This led to a temporarily aggravation of the flooding risk around the main station. For this reason an operational prediction system for flooding was implemented in September 2008 for Zurich and the Sihl valley. By means of daily modeling, flooding events can be detected at an early stage.

For calculating flooding peaks and volumes the hydrological model PREVAH is linked to the hydraulic Model FLORIS. The weather data is gained out of different atmospheric prediction models. Thus valuable lead time of up to 5 days is possible. (More information)

Collaboration

• Canton of Glarus (departments "Wald" and "Tiefbau")
• Canton of Valais ("Service des routes et des cours d'eau" and "Service des forêts et du paysage")
• Canton of Zurich ("Amt für Abfall, Wasser, Energie und Luft AWEL")
  
• Prevention Foundation of the Cantonal Public Building Insurance Companies

Participants

• Alexandre Badoux
• François Dufour
• Matthias Gerber
• Christoph Graf
• Christoph Hegg
• Nadine Hilker
• Simon Jaun
  
• Daniel Lussi
• Cyrill Perot
• Jakob Rhyner
• Hans Romang
• Massimiliano Zappa

Contact