Risks of natural disasters are steadily increasing, due mainly to the growing exposure of goods and population to wide range of hazards, as well as to possible side effects related to global warming. After a brief introduction on the importance of natural catastrophes worldwide and to the question of integral risk management, the paper focuses on a case study.

 

Risks of natural disasters are steadily increasing, due mainly to the growing exposure of goods and population to wide range of hazards, as well as to possible side effects related to global warming. After a brief introduction on the importance of natural catastrophes worldwide and to the question of integral risk management, the paper focuses on a case study.

In the western part of Switzerland, an important mountain road connecting the town of Aigle to the village of l’Etivaz, over some 25 kmand passing by the Col des Mosses pass (El. 1.445 m), is threatened by many natural dangers, among which the well known slides of La Frasse and La Lécherette which have experienced crises in the past. In other areas, hazards of rockfall, partially controlled, of debris flows and of avalanches also exist.

In order to take appropriate preventive measures and avoid thus that these dangers turn out into catastrophes, it is first necessary to carry out a complete assessment of the risks induced by the road. Several steps will be followed. The first step includes the knowledge of the natural phenomena, i.e. localisation, limits, geological and morphological conditions, actual activity, data on past events, in order to prepare maps of phenomena. The second step leads to class the potential dangers or hazards into three categories (low, medium and high hazard) and to produce danger maps. The third step relates to vulnerability analysis and the fourth step to the risk assessment.

The study has led to fix a degree of risk rated from 0 to 4 for each 250 munit stretch of the road.

  Risks of natural disast …

AUTORI: Prina E., Bonnard C., Vulliet L. RIG ANNO: 2003 NUMERO: 2 Numero di pagina: 67


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