Risk management, risk communicaiton and resilience

Mountain areas in Switzerland, such as the canton of Graubünden, are threatened by natural hazard processes such as avalanches, debris flows, floods, landslides or rockfall. Appropriate management of the risks from these hazards is essential for the sustainable development of society in mountain areas. Creating knowledge and awareness about the impacts and risks of natural hazards, their uncertainties and possible future developments is central for risk communication and the elaboration of optimal combinations of measures within the framework of integral risk management. In this way, the resilience of society, i.e. the capacity for resistance, regeneration and adaptation, can be maintained and increased for both frequent and extreme events.

The group is developing risk-based and practical methods to help manage risks from natural hazards, taking into account uncertainties arising from climate change and societal developments. These methods can also be used in risk communication and support the development of optimal combinations of measures for adequate safety. Our work covers both rare extreme events and more frequent events.

More information: Research group Risk and Resilience