26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
Impact of Climate Change
on Natural Hazards in Austria
NATIONAL REPORT
AUSTRIA
Global increase of temperatures:
between 1.8°C and 4.0°C (IPCC 2007)
Impacts of global warming are already apparent in the Alps:
decrease of 20% of the mean summer precipitation
regional changes between -10% and +20% for winter precipitation
Frequent extreme (storms, heavy rainfall) increasingly causing
debris flows and floods associated with considerable ecological,
economical and social damage
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
Large parts of Austria within the Alpine arc and related climatic
conditions are at considerable risk of being affected by natural
disasters
Extreme natural disasters in the near past:
Avalanche disaster 1999 (Tyrol, Vorarlberg)
Flood disaster 2002 (Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria) Flood and landslide disaster 2005 (Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg) Extreme snowfall event 2006 (Salzburg, Styria)
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
Avalanche Galtür 1999
Flood Danube 2002
Flood Paznaun Valley 2005Snow loade disaster Reichenhall 2006 Storm Kyrill 2007
Recent research results indicate that Climate Change has a
paramount impact on natural hazards in the Alpine environment.
The following changes are expected:
probable increase of floods in frequency and amplitude increase of avalanches in frequency and run out distances
extreme low water periods and droughts mainly in the summer
lowering of the water table; reduction of reservoirs of storage dams
risk of rock falls and slides caused by melting permafrost and melting glaciers intensified risk of forest fires
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
Floods in August 2002: claimed nine lives, had very
detrimental effects on settlements and caused damages of
approximately 3 billion Euros.
Floods and Landslides 2005: Austria’s west experienced
extreme rainfalls up to 250 mm a day, which led to disastrous
floods again, causing damages of about 700 million Euros.
Storm events Paula and Emma 2008: Destruction of vast
areas of forest in Styria, total damage of 4,15 Mio. cubic meter
of wood.
Natural hazards are phenomena in nature that cannot be
prevented, only mitigated.
Climate changes triggers changes that force to adapt human
life to these changing risks.
New strategies and approaches to adaptation:
Precaution in area
Precaution in building
Precaution in behaviour
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
= provision of necessary areas for flood retention and land use
adapted to hazard potential
= area development adapted to hazard potenzial, technical
protection of buildings
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
= public information, development of conciousness and
acceptance for natural hazards, education
Austria takes great efforts in R&D and participates in numerous
international CC-adaptation projects:
Flood Risk I (2004) and Flood Risk II (2008) ClimChAlp (Interreg III)
AdaptAlp and CLISP (Interreg IV)
National Climate und Energy Fund
MEDEA (data information system for meteorological extreme events in Austria)
CIRCLE and CRUE (EraNet)
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
Transnational cooperation in the Alpine Space should be further intensified to exchange experiences, knowledge and methods between administration, technical authorities and scientists.
Monitoring of slope deformations and other natural hazards should be intensified to identify zones at risks as soon as possible.
Historic data as a retro-perspective analysis tool should be included for all kind of monitoring and scenario building.
A full coverage of hazard maps should be provided for areal development.
A “risk dialogue” has to be initiated between experts, administration and the public.
Transnational cooperation in the Alpine Space should be further intensified to exchange experiences, knowledge and methods between administration, technical authorities and scientists.
Monitoring of slope deformations and other natural hazards should be intensified to identify zones at risks as soon as possible.
Historic data as a retro-perspective analysis tool should be included for all kind of monitoring and scenario building.
A full coverage of hazard maps should be provided for areal development.
A “risk dialogue” has to be initiated between experts, administration and the public.
26th Session of the EFC Working Party on the
Management of Mountain Watersheds
19th to 22nd August 2008, Oulu/Finland
Trust me,
in this area avalanches are a calculable risk!
Let´s hope that this will not be the
result of climate change in the near future – at least not in Austria.
