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MainDB: The protective capacity of forests against snow avalanches

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Title

The protective capacity of forests against snow avalanches

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NWPGeographicRegion

Europe

Scope of work

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Good practices and lessons learned

The economic benefits of ecosystem services are increasingly being quantified due to their impacts on hazard risk reduction. In Switzerland, for example, the benefits of protected forests are estimated between USD 2 to 3.5 billion per year.

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Date of submission

Abbreviation

Activities

The Swiss government recognised that over-exploitation of trees was leading to serious avalanches, landslides and flooding and introduced a rigorous system of protection and restoration. Legislation recognises the protective function of its forests, and private and public landowners are incentivized to manage forests to provide protection from natural hazards, rather than for commercial timber production. This includes managing stands to help protect against rockfall, landslides, and avalanches and restoration of previously degraded areas.

Adaptation element

Adaptation planning and practices; Capacity building

Adaptation sector/theme

Agriculture; Ecosystems; Biodiversity; Ecosystem-based adaptation

Climate hazard

Country

Switzerland

NWPDataSource

EbA

Description

For many years, Switzerland has recognised the protective function of the forests in reducing the risk to people from avalanches and landslides, and designed management practices to enhance the resilience of the forests. With the effects of climate change in the European Alps expected to include increased erosion, landslides, avalanches, and flooding, the forests are expected to play an ongoing role in disaster prevention in the region.

Expected outcome

Further information

NWPGeographicScope

National

Indicators of achievement

NWPInformationType

Case study

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Purpose

Regional group

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17 percent of Swiss forests in the Alpine region are managed mainly for their protective function. By emphasizing the role of forests in disaster prevention within the Swiss forest policy at federal and local levels, the Government has prioritized certain ecosystem services at the expense of others (e.g. timber production).

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Type of knowledge resource

Scale of work

NWPSlowOnsetEvents

NWPReferences

ProAct Network (2008). The Role of Environmental Management and eco-engineering in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: https://www.unisdr.org/files/4148_em.report.annex1.pdf

Dudley et al (2010); Natural Solutions: Protected areas helping people cope with climate change, IUCN, WCPA, TNC, UNDP, WCS, The World Bank and WWF, Gland, Switzerland, Washington DC and New York, USA: https://www.iucn.org/content/natural-solutions-protected-areas-helping-people-cope-climate-change

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Attachments

Content Type: NWPSearchableItem