Impact of climate change in the mountains: water resources and natural hazards (ATTENUATE)
In the mountains, climate change is having a particularly severe impact on available water resources, leading to an increase in natural hazards. It is now necessary to improve knowledge and inform the public about the rapid changes taking place in Alpine environments.
Warming in the Alps is twice as great as on a global scale, with direct consequences such as melting glaciers, degradation of permafrost and shorter periods of snow cover at mid-altitudes.
There are also indirect consequences, such as changes in the quantity and quality of surface and groundwater resources , or anincrease in the frequency and magnitude ofnatural hazards, which can cause considerable human and material damage.
Faced with these rapid changes, the aim of this project is to improve knowledge of the rapid evolution of Alpine environments, and also to inform the public about the vulnerability of these environments.
This project is structured around the following two axes:
- Training and applied research: supervision of MSc Master’s projects related to the general theme of the project and improved knowledge of the hydrogeology of periglacial systems, permafrost degradation and slope movements, evolution of water resources in high mountains, etc.
- Communication and awareness-raising: inform the general public about current advances in knowledge and the associated challenges, using a range of communication tools: photo competition, travelling public exhibition, fresco workshop on water-related hazards, etc.
Information
Project leader: Dr Marie Arnoux
Project duration: 2022 – 2024
Project leader: CREALP Supported by: HEP VS, SE VS, Loterie Romande, Ernst Göhner Foundation