Vulnerability to Heat Waves, Floods, and Landslides in Mountainous Terrain

Papathoma-Köhle, Maria; Ulbrich, Thorsten; Keiler, Margreth; Pedoth, Lydia; Totschnig, Reinhold; Glade, Thomas; Schneiderbauer, Stefan; Eidswig, Unni

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-410528-7.00008-4

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…This maximum value was reached again in 2015. The analyzed trend is confirmed by a previous study conducted in the South Tyrol area [21], in which it was observed an increment of the annual average Tair by 1.5 °C in the last 30 years. The trend line (dotted line in Figure 1a) demonstrates that the temperature has constantly risen from 1950 to 2016.…”

Section: Geography and Climate Of Bolzanosupporting

confidence: 88%

“…As a result, the city is characterized by a moist continental climate, Dfb according to the Köppen-Geiger classification [20], with strong seasonal fluctuations. Due to its location and climate characteristics, Bolzano is often affected by the presence of high temperature and extreme events such as heat waves during summer [21], and it is ranked among the hottest Italian cities with (dry-bulb) air temperatures (Tair) exceeding frequently 35 °C, with maximum peaks that reach 40 °C [22]. The analysis of the historical data series from 1950 to 2016 [22] shows an increase in the mean annual Tair of more than 3 °C (from 10.7 °C in 1977 to 13.9 °C in 2015) (Figure 1a) with the only exception in 1982, which resulted the hottest year in the series with the highest average annual Tair (13.9 °C).…”

Section: Geography and Climate Of Bolzanomentioning

confidence: 99%

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A holistic approach to assess the exploitation of renewable energy sources for design interventions in the early design phases

Lobaccaro

Croce

Vettorato

et al. 2018

Energy and Buildings

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This study presents a holistic approach applied to assess the exploitation of renewable energy sources for design interventions in the early design phases in a consolidated urban environment. With reference to the cooling season, the approach implies set of environmental analyses focused on twofold assessments: (i) the use of renewable energies sources for active and passive strategies, (ii) the impact on outdoor thermal comfort of the technological solutions and cool materials installed on the buildings' facades. From the definition of the local boundary conditions, preliminary climate analyses were conducted with dynamic simulation tools such as Ladybug and DIVA-for-Rhino, while numerical and computational fluid dynamics models, such as ENVI-met and OpenFOAM, were used to carry out microclimate and wind flow analyses. The approach is tested on two existing residential building blocks in a case study district in Bolzano (Italy). The assessment of several design interventions and building technological solutions have been studied: from the (ii) addition of one story volume on the existing buildings, to the (ii) creation of new green areas, and the (iii) installation of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), vertical greenery and double skin façade (DSF) systems on the building's façades. The results, divided in practice and policy implications, demonstrate that preliminary analyses play a relevant role to assess the exploitation of renewable energy sources to optimize the use of urban and building surfaces since the early design phases. High-albedo materials on the façades can totally counterbalance the loss of solar potential due to the overshadowing effect of the additional story. The combination of cool materials (e.g., white reflective plaster) and the increment of the buildings' height could reduce about 1°C the thermal discomfort registered during the high thermal peak during the day. Solar and urban airflow analyses allow to optimize the integration of BIPV in a DSF system; while the installation of green façade can reduce the air temperature locally up to about 0.5°C.

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Section: Geography and Climate Of Bolzanosupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Geography and Climate Of Bolzanomentioning

confidence: 99%

A holistic approach to assess the exploitation of renewable energy sources for design interventions in the early design phases

Lobaccaro

Croce

Vettorato

et al. 2018

Energy and Buildings

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“…1). This populated alpine region is strongly affected by natural hazards (NH): every year several weather-related NH such as debris flows, landslides or avalanches, are recorded [30][31][32] . In particular, this research aims to provide insights in answering several questions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in climate patterns and their association to natural hazard distribution in South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps)

Schlögel

Kofler

Gariano

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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In Alpine regions changes in seasonal climatic parameters, such as temperature, rainfall, and snow amount have already been observed. Specifically, in the South Tyrol area, meteorological observations indicate that temperatures are increasing and the number of snow days has generally diminished over time with perennial snow line now observed at higher elevations. Changes in rainfall have also been observed with more events associated with higher temperatures in the summer season. Natural hazards-mainly debris and mud flows, landslides, avalanches, rock falls, and (flash) floods-that affect this area every year, damaging population and infrastructures, are either weather or cryosphere-related. While these events have been recorded sporadically since the beginning of the 20th century, a systematic approach of their inventory has been done by local authorities since the 1990s. So far, Earth observation data has not been exploited to complete or complement existing inventories nor have they been used to investigate the influence of climate perturbation on potentially dangerous natural phenomena. The research presented here thus has three objectives: (i) analyse long time series of climate data and hazard occurrence in South Tyrol to examine if these records exhibit a coherent response of hazards to changes in climate; (ii) measure the spatio-temporal evolution of climatic and natural hazard events recorded, and (iii) explore potential relations between meteorological conditions and the hazard occurrence. In this context, in-situ and satellite-based climate data are exploited to study natural hazard triggers while the potential of Earth observation data is evaluated as a complement to the existing historical records of natural hazards. Specifically, Copernicus Sentinel-1 images are used to detect the spatio-temporal distribution of slow earth surface deformations and the results used for checking the completeness of the actual slow-moving landslide inventories. Hazard-related changes in the South tyrolian landscape have also been analysed in relation to particular meteorological events at a regional scale, assessing trends and anomalies. Results show that: (i) satellite data are very useful to complement the existing natural hazard inventories; (ii) in-situ and satellite-based climate records show similar patterns but differ due to regional versus local variability; (iii) even in a data-rich region such as the analysed area, the overall response of natural hazard occurrence, magnitude, and frequency to change in climate variables is difficult to decipher due to the presence of multiple triggers and locally driven ground responses. However, an increase in the average annual duration of rainfall events and debris flow occurrence can be observed. Mountains have been acknowledged as "sentinels of environmental change" because they have physical dynamics that are readily identifiable and respond more rapidly than other geographical entities to environmental change 1 .

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“…Moreover, we know "Inundation" is the result of a tsunami traveling a long distance inland and is a horizontal measurement of the path of the tsunami. A tsunami effect is defined by several factors like height, run-up height and run-up distance [25]- [27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of Tsunami Hazard Vulnerability Factors by Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS and AHP Based Assessment

Poursaber¹,

Ariki²

2016

OALib

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Geographic Information Systems (GIS), image processing in remote sensing and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) were used to estimate and classify vulnerability and inundation areas under the Tohoku tsunami event 2011 in the Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture, Japan. Acceptable data were obtained from Geoeye-1 satellite image, GSI DEM and field survey. Five factors of elevation, slope, shoreline distance, river distance and vegetation were used to classify the vulnerability and be weighted via AHP. By assessing the estimated and classified vulnerability map and comparing it with the inundation map of the study area, we found that a 13.44 km 2 area came under the tsunami vulnerability zone. Inundation areas were located in high and slightly high vulnerability classifications. Kitakami river and the Unga water canal played the role of flooding strips by transporting tsunami waves into the hinterland. This research is important to understand the roles of main topographical factors in a tsunami disaster.

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Vulnerability to Heat Waves, Floods, and Landslides in Mountainous Terrain

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

A holistic approach to assess the exploitation of renewable energy sources for design interventions in the early design phases

A holistic approach to assess the exploitation of renewable energy sources for design interventions in the early design phases

Changes in climate patterns and their association to natural hazard distribution in South Tyrol (Eastern Italian Alps)

Estimation of Tsunami Hazard Vulnerability Factors by Integrating Remote Sensing, GIS and AHP Based Assessment

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