Trees are capable of slowing down and stopping avalanches before they can endanger settlements and their inhabitants. The SLF is investigating the complex interaction that takes place between forest structure, snow properties and the terrain.

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The STRADA project was founded in 2010 to develop strategies to adapt and enhance the management of natural risks to climate change in Switzerland and Italy. This project is part of the Programme of Collaboration in European cross-border zones, Italy/Switzerland 2007/2013.

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Die kantonalen Gebäudeversicherungen (KGV) sind angesichts steigender Elementarschäden und ihrer rechtlichen Stellung als Monopolversicherer mit Annahmezwang gefordert, das Risiko über Präventionsmassnahmen zu steuern. Objektschutzmassnahmen (OSM) können einen wich- tigen Beitrag leisten und Beispiele aus der Praxis und der Literatur zeigen, dass Objektschutz eine sehr effiziente Massnahme sein kann.

Available languages: German

Die Gebäudeversicherung Graubünden hat ein starkes Interesse die Elementarschäden weiterhin möglichst tief zu halten. Im Auftrag der Kantonalen Gebäudeversicherung, des Amts für Wald und Naturgefahren sowie des Amts für Raumentwicklung des Kantons Graubünden analysieren wir die aktuellen Risiken und die zu erwartenden klima- und sozioökonomisch bedingten Änderungen der Risiken.

Available languages: German

When planning to protect a specific section of road or a settlement against avalanches, a decision has to be taken on which of the options – barriers or a snow shed – is the most suitable means of defence. A variety of online tools are now available to facilitate an assessment of the risk posed by natural hazards, and to examine the effectiveness and economy of different protective measures.

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A key factor determining the trajectories of rockfalls is rock-shape. But which rock-shapes are the most dangerous? Using rockfall experiments with special motion sensors and a new rockfall model that can simulate real rock-shapes; we are beginning to answer these questions.

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Warning and alarm systems are part of a number of measures in an integrative approach to risk management for natural hazards. Alongside well proven protection measures (e.g. dams, galleries and nets), warning and alarm systems are becoming increasingly important and are applied as viable and cost-efficient risk mitigation measures.

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India is regularly associated with heat, spicy food, masses of people – and avalanches? Although not a phenomenon that immediately springs to mind, Indian avalanches are part and parcel of everyday life at the moment for SLF employee Yves Bühler. At the beginning of April 2012 he left Switzerland with his family to work for three months at the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) in Manali.

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A new Swiss test-site for avalanche experiments has been built to study the overall dynamic behaviour of dense-flow and powder-snow avalanches and to measure avalanche impact forces along their path. The site began operation in 1997/1998 and is a milestone of avalanche dynamics research at the WSL-SLF.

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Various accidents have shown that rescuers can be endangered in the aftermath of avalanche accidents. For this reason, the SLF has responded to an initiative of ICAR (the International Commission for Alpine Rescue) by joining forces with various partners to produce a Rescue Compass for professional rescuers – a weatherproof manual together with a checklist in the form of a dial. It is a practical risk management tool for use in the field.

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