269 research outputs found
Impacts from climate change related hazards in high-mountain areas: a review of assessment techniques
No full textClimate change has a particularly strong impact in high-mountain regions, as rapidly shrinking glaciers demonstrate in a clear manner. These drastic geomorphic changes have important implications with respect to natural hazards. The aim of this paper is to document the possible processes and consequences of such hazards, and to demonstrate how modern remote sensing and modeling techniques can be used for rapid assessment of potentially endangered areas.
Three case studies are presented from the European Alps, the Andes and the Caucasus. They refer to hazards associated with glacial lake formation and growth, and possible related lake outbursts, as well as massive mass movement processes due to destabilization of large glacierized mountain walls.
Due to the remoteness and difficult access in most high-mountain regions, satellite remote sensing is a highly appropriate tool for monitoring purposes in these areas. We outline here the range of currently available satellite sensor data and show how it can be used to identify potential hazard sources. Based on the detected critical areas, we use mass movement propagation models embedded in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to approximately delineate endangered areas. Such remote sensing and modeling based first-order hazard assessments are an important tool for further detailed studies, for land use planning, and for prevention and mitigation measures
Analysis of weather- and climate-related disasters in mountain regions using different disaster databases
No full textMountains are fragile ecosystems with global importance, providing key ecosystems services within mountainous areas but also for the lowlands. However, mountain regions are prone to natural disasters and exposed to multiple hazards. In this chapter, we present four disaster databases (EM-DAT, NatCatSERVICE, DesInventar, Dartmouth) that store information about spatiotemporal occurrence and impacts of natural disasters in mountain areas. Quality and completeness of the four databases are compared and analyzed regarding reliability for weather- and climate-related natural disasters. The analysis identifies the numbers of fatalities as the most reliable loss parameters, whereby the number of people affected and the economic loss are less trustworthy and highly dependent on the purposes of each database. Main limitations regarding sustainable mountain development are the inhomogeneity in database definitions, spatial resolutions, database purposes and lack of data registration for human and economic losses. While some individual disasters such as the Kedarnath flood in northern India in 2013 have been robustly linked to changes in climate, there is generally insufficient evidence to attribute any overall increasing disaster frequency to climate change. Damage due to hazard in mountain regions will increase irrespective of global warming, in regions where populations are growing and infrastructure is developed at exposed locations
Science in the context of climate change adaptation: Case studies from the Peruvian Andes
No full textWithin the context of the Climate Change Adaptation Program (PACC), a number of scientifi c investigations on water resources, natural disasters and perceptions by local people highlight adaptation needs in the regions of Cusco and Apurímac in Peru, considering past, present-day and future climate conditions. This chapter compiles their findings and attempts a systematic evaluation with respect to their contributions to climate change adaptation. The studies consistently find aggravating water scarcity during the dry season (April to September) due to projected precipitation decreases and reduced storage capacity of shrinking glaciers. Impacts include below-capacity hydropower generation and increased crop failure risks. For natural disasters, database inconsistencies prevent a detection of trends. While the natural science studies have produced a new and more comprehensive understanding of the target regions, their implications for society have hardly been investigated anthropologically. One of the few social science studies emphasizes that climate change is only one out of many determinants of rural livelihoods in the target regions, which have not been addressed scientifi cally yet. We thereby find an imbalance of available scientific knowledge regarding natural vs. social sciences. Overcoming such imbalance would allow for a more comprehensive integration of scientific findings into design and implementation of adaptation measures within
the local context
Neue Seen als Folge des Gletscherschwundes im Hochgebirge - Chancen und Risiken. Formation de nouveaux lacs suite au recul des glaciers en haute montagne – chances et risques
No full textNeue Seen als Folge des Gletscherschwundes im Hochgebirge: Klimaabhängige Bildung und Herausforderungen für eine nachhaltige Nutzung (Projekt NELAK des NFP 61). Weltweit schwinden die Gletscher rasant, auch die Alpen dürften ihre Gletscher in den kommenden Jahrzehnten weitgehend verlieren. In den eisfreien Gebieten bilden sich dabei zahlreiche neue Seen. Das Projekt NELAK behandelt in einem integrativ-multidisziplinären Ansatz Fragen nach dem optimalen Umgang mit diesen neuen Elementen der Landschaft und des Wasserkreislaufs. In engem Kontakt mit Behörden und Wirtschaft werden Grundlagen zu relevanten Aspekten der Naturgefahren, der Wasserkraft, des Tourismus und des Rechts erarbeitet sowie an Fallbeispielen diskutiert. Der vorliegende Bericht enthält eine erste systematische Wissensbasis sowie Empfehlungen für die dringend notwendige Planung: Was kommt auf uns zu, was können wir tun und wie gehen wir am besten vor? Nouveaux lacs suite au recul des glaciers en haute montagne: développement lié au climat et défis pour une utilisation durable (projet NELAK du PNR 61). Les glaciers déclinent à toute vitesse dans le monde entier; les Alpes ne sont pas épargnées et devraient perdre la plupart de leurs glaciers au cours des prochaines décennies, entraînant la formation de nombreux nouveaux lacs. Le projet NELAK vise à optimiser la gestion des nouveaux éléments du paysage et du cycle hydrologique par le biais d’une approche multidisciplinaire et intégrée. Le contact étroit avec les autorités et les milieux économiques a permis d’élaborer les bases des aspects importants concernant les dangers naturels, l‘énergie hydraulique, le tourisme et le droit; ils sont illustrés à partir d‘études de cas. Ce rapport contient une première base de connaissances systématiques ainsi que des recommandations pour la planification des mesures les plus urgentes: ce qui nous attend, ce que nous pouvons faire et comment le réaliser au mieux
Setting the scence: adapting to climate change – a large-scale challenge with local-scale impacts
No full textThis chapter’s main objective is to provide the context of the book and to introduce the subsequent chapters.
The physical basis of the global climate change challenge is briefly outlined and the consequences for the societies primarily at the local scale are discussed. A short overview of how the international policy level responds to the challenge of global climate change impacts and risks is provided. Key terms related to different types of adaptation are also introduced and reasons for the complexity of climate change adaptation discussed. Then, the evidence for the importance of mountain ecosystems and adjacent downstream areas, which are critically linked through water, is briefly reviewed. Finally, each chapter of the book is introduced, followed by key conclusions we can draw from the book concerning the state and experiences of adaptation in upstream and downstream areas
Database of Himalayan glacial lakes
No full textThis dataset contains a shapefile of 2231 Himalayan glacial lakes ranging in size between 875 m2 to 5.6 km2. The lakes were manually digitized using high-resolution imagery in GoogleEarth in 2015. The dataset has been mapped and used by Schwanghart et al. (2016). In addition, the dataset contains a shapefile of the great circle that describes the Himalayan Arc (Bendick and Bilham, 2001) as well as a polygon shape which segments the Himalayan arc along the the great circle into 99 polygon.
References
Bendick, R. and Bilham, R.: How perfect is the Himalayan arc?, Geology, 29, 791–794, https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2001)0292.0.CO;2, 2001.
Schwanghart, W., Worni, R., Huggel, C., Stoffel, M., and Korup, O.: Uncertainty in the Himalayan energy–water nexus: estimating regional exposure to glacial lake outburst floods, Environ. Res. Lett., 11, 074005, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074005, 2016
Managing glacier related risks disaster in the Chucchún catchment, Cordillera Blanca, Peru
No full textGlacial lakes hazards have been a constant factor in the population of the Cordillera Blanca due their potential to generate glacial lake outburst fl olds (GLOFs), which can be increased by the effects of climate change. In past decades, the UGRH (Glaciology and Water Resource Unit) successful implemented security infrastructure, however, events like the GLOF of April 11 in Carhuaz highlighted the need to implement new risk management strategies. In response, the Glaciares Project has been carried out to implement three strategies to reduce risks in the Chucchún catchment through: (1) Knowledge generation, (2) building technical and institutional capacities and, (3) the institutionalization of risk management. Strategies focused on strengthening the Municipality of Carhuaz, the Civil Defense Platform and its members, leading to an improvement of risk management and being based under Peruvian laws. As a result, both the authorities and the population have improved their resilience to respond to the occurrence of GLOF. This chapter will discuss and analyze the strategies and actions implemented under the Glaciares Project to build a model of glacier related risk management and climate change adaptation
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