Background

The increasing number of natural disasters (torrents, rockfalls, landslides, floods, etc.) occurred in the project area over the last few years jeopardizes very sensitive habitats of considerable environmental value (e.g. Triglav National Park, transnational systems of protection forests, etc.) while facing municipalities with a tourism-based economy, such as the “Lake Wörth Towns” in Carinthia or Kranjska Gora in Slovenia, with enormous difficulties.
In Carinthia, as in Slovenia, there is widespread interest in possible synergies to be derived from mutual experience. These will help improve risk management and device and implement concerted instruments and procedures.
The calls for help of affected municipalities and regions press for rapid and joint action, not only with respect to protection and management of environmental resources, but also in the field of awareness raising.

Premise

The Carinthian department for spatial planning follows an interdisciplinary approach when it comes to recording and outlining the risks connected to natural hazards. Consequently, there is very widespread interest in a collaboration with the Slovenian experts and a harmonization of data/material on natural resources (with a focus on risk management).´
Triglav National Park, on the other hand, requires extensive information on natural hazards (e.g. landslides), which it plans to insert into the projected Central Information Centre. Moreover, closer collaboration is being sought with Carinthian national parks.
The Slovenian agency for torrent and avalanche control (PUH) has developed risk management methods which it now wishes to check against others. At the same time, it wants to foster an exchange of experiences that it wishes to take the form of permanent transnational co-operation.
The employment of modern technologies (Geographic Information Systems, web technologies) is expected to improve communication about potential risks.

Object

Recent natural catastrophes over the past few years (landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, phenomenal floods, etc.) have dramatically underscored the need for up-to-date risk assessment methods and information groundwork for strategic planning.
The repercussions on sensitive alpine ecosystems, existing infrastructures, tourism enhancement measures, etc., have also shown that better management and more effective awareness raising are in order.
The operation is intended to establish a cross-border co-operation between the project partners and hence develop common information systems, promote know-how exchange and improve public relations, and sets out from the example of a number of test-case municipalities located in the project area and Triglav National Park.

General objectives

• Study and presentation of natural hazards in the alpine region as a facet of natural resources.
• Creation of a comprehensive and interdisciplinary database to support decision-making and evaluation processes of natural hazards, with a special focus on border areas.
• Improvement of both management and public awareness of natural resources.
• Harmonization of methods and information systems (risk management) through close cross-border co-operation.

Special objectives

• Development and harmonization of fundamentals and outputs for environmental evaluation through close co-operation and exchange of experiences.
• Implementation and introduction of data and results in many municipalities located in the project area (e.g. Kranjska Gora, ...).
• Setting up of a web service to provide information to target groups.
• Integration of the topic of natural hazards into the Triglav National Park central visitors information system.
• Conduction of a target-group specific public relations campaign aimed, amongst other things, at promoting awareness of natural hazards.
• Creation of user-friendly databases on tourism development and natural hazards.

Target groups

• Public administration: agencies dealing with planning, tourism and risk management (at decision-making level)
• Districts, regional management authorities
• Municipalities
• Managing bodies of national parks
• Organizations working in the fields of environmental and landscape protection
• Institutions and organisations promoting related cross-border activities
• Experts
• Public (better information and awareness raising)