Effect of protection forests on natural hazards due to gravity: Protect-Bio

Perren, B., Impuls AG Wald Landschaft Naturgefahren, Thun; Wasser,B.

Effect of protection forests on natural hazards due to gravity: Protect-Bio

2014

Perren, B., Impuls AG Wald Landschaft Naturgefahren, Thun (Switzerland) | Wasser,B.

The Protect-Bio project of the Federal Environment Agency aims to appraise the effects of biological protection measures, notably protection forests, in such a way that they can be compared to the effects of technical protection measures with the same objectives. A methodology has been developed in the context of the “Protect” project of the National Platform for Natural Hazards (PLANAT) to assess technical measures, which has several stages: preparation, rapid assessment, evaluation of measures, evaluation of effects. This article shows how the methodology for technical measures can be adapted to protection forests. It appears that the principles of the Protect project which must be used to evaluate technical protection measures can be applied to biological protection measures. Protect-Bio widens the framework of the danger assessment (danger map) to risk analysis in general. For most danger processes, procedures can be developed for rapid assessment as well as evaluation of measures and effects. Open questions remain concerning evaluation of effects of protection forests with regard to deep and medium level landslides and flooding. It is hoped that in future the protective effects of forests can be taken into consideration in an appropriate and balanced way when assessing dangers and risks.

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