Regional Mountain Conference

With a focus on the Austrian flood and torrential hazard risk management, a well-established dialogue and exchange exists between researchers and decision-makers. This dialogue covers involved disciplines and approaches, ranging from collaborations on site-specific studies to the joint development of guidelines and standards for standardized risk management at the territorial level. Examples from a technical/engineering perspective include: (i) developing complex hazard process models based on field evidence from event reconstruction and monitoring campaigns; (ii) conducting model-based analyses of the requirements, functions and operation of technical structures that mitigate hazard and damage potential; (iii) incorporating state-of-the-art and new research into standards, technical guidelines and policies; (iv) third-mission actions to communicate climate change related alterations of hazards and risk to the public, and (v) jointly developing methods and content for research project calls.

This workshop contribution highlights regional examples of successful collaboration and mutual exchange between research and practice, thereby focusing on the engineering discipline and centred mainly on hazards. Joint tasks address different components of hazard mitigation and risk reduction, and thus all reflect the fundamental problem of progressive land consumption, also in areas affected by mountain hazards.

The need to further enhance the dialogue between research and practice in mountain hazard risk management is particularly pertinent if – considering the impact of climate change in the coming decades – minor adjustments to our proven protection concepts and ways of thinking would no longer be sufficient and a more substantial adaptation of our structures and practices would be required. Firstly, options are discussed that address joint efforts to quantify changes in hazards and risk caused by climate change and determine which mitigation and adaptation approaches can be employed to counteract these changes. A holistic, interdisciplinary approach is required here. Secondly, the focus is on the designing and implementing of research projects. To ensure that research objectives and outcomes are more meaningful, accessible and understandable, science communication and third-mission components must become standard in research initiatives in a way that they are co-developed and jointly reviewed with decision-makers throughout all project phases.