Debris
flows and rockfalls are a familiar hazard in European mountain areas
and regularly cause loss of life, livelihood and property. Hazard assessment
is therefore increasingly required in land use planning. However, there
are no standard techniques and existing operational techniques are qualitative.
DAMOCLES will therefore develop quantitative technologies for assessing
the distribution of rapid slope failures and their hazard, for determining
the physical impact of debris flows and, hence, for assessing the mitigating
effects of torrent control works and land management. It will also disseminate
these technologies to end-users for application in land use planning.
In order to achieve its goals the project integrates research-based
model development with the involvement of local planning and civil protection
authorities as data suppliers, advisors and recipients of the project
results. Its objectives are:
Develop
and apply three advanced models for hazard assessment, impact prediction
and mitigation studies relevant at local to regional scales : a)
a Geographical Information System (GIS) debris flow and rockfall
hazard assessment model; b) a small basin (<10 km2)
debris flow impact model; and c) a basin scale (<500 km2)
landslide erosion and sediment yield model (SHETRAN). Models (b)
and (c) will be integrated with (a).
Conduct
field surveys and assemble databases in support of model development
for one region in the Spanish Pyrenees and two in the Italian Alps.
Identify debris flow process relationships for insertion in the
models.
Transfer
the technologies to end-users and make outcomes accessible through
the public domain. Involve end-users in model applications, including
assessment of possible future land use and climate change impacts.
The
objectives will be addressed via a set of workpackages over a 3-year
period. Progress in these packages will be monitored according to specified
milestones and success in achieving in the objectives will be measured
in terms of the deliverables for each package. The workpackages are:
WP1)
Development of functional relationships for debris flow behaviour
derived from field data and existing databases. The results will
be improved means of predicting debris flow occurrence as a function
of land use change and rainfall return period and improved techniques
for mapping debris flow characteristics.
WP2)
Development of a GIS hazard and risk assessment methodology using
field data, available databases and model developments. This is
the core of the project: it will involve statistical and physically
based modelling and will benefit from the data and model developments
of the other workpackages. The result will be a quantitative hazard
and risk modelling technology for rockfalls and debris flows.
WP3)
Development of a small basin (< 10 km2) debris flow
impact model using field data and a physically based modelling approach.
An innovative user-friendly debris flow impact model will be developed,
integrating a propagation model and a debris fan digital terrain
model and incorporating channel control structures and land management.
The result will be a model for use by end-users in assessing debris
flow impacts and the effect of mitigation measures.
WP4)
Application of the existing SHETRAN basin scale (<500 km2)
landslide erosion and sediment yield model to land use and climate
scenario analysis. Spatially distributed simulations of debris flow
occurrence and the impact on basin sediment yield will be carried
out for current and possible future conditions. The results will
be demonstrations of debris flow impact assessment and new guidelines
on basin management for end-users.
WP5)
Dissemination of the project deliverables. This will be achieved
by training courses, workshops, the direct involvement of six-end
users in model applications and the placement of relevant deliverables
on a web site. The results will be transfer of project technology
to end-users and the public domain and a proposal for a standard
approach to hazard and risk zonation.
WP3
and WP4 provide important inputs to WP2 which will enhance the capabilities
and reliability of the hazard assessment methodology. Between them the
three packages will provide a means of examining debris flow problems
at a range of spatial scales. Similarly the relationships from WP1 will
be used to refine the models in WP3 and WP4. Packages 1 to 4 will all
contribute to WP5.
The
Consortium consists of six principal (CR) and assistant (AC) contractors.
They include one end-user (EU) and are supported by a further five,
some of whom are subcontractors.
CO1
University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Project coordinator and leader
of WP4 and WP5.
CR2
University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy. Leader of WP2.
AC3
CNR-IRPI (Institute for Hydrogeological Protection in Central Italy),
Perugia, Italy. Provision of GIS and web expertise in WP2 and WP5.
CR4
University of Padova, Italy. Leader of WP3.
CR5
CSIC (Pyreneen Institute of Ecology), Zaragoza, Spain. Leader of
WP1.
AC/EU6
Geomining Technical Institute, Zaragoza, Spain. End-user and provision
of support for CR5.
The
remaining end-users are: the Lombardy Region Geological Survey; the
Veneto Regional Agency for Environmental Protection; the Autonomous
Province of Trento; the Land and Urban Planning Directorate, Aragón;
and the Interior and Local Administration Directorate, Aragón. The first
three of these are project subcontractors.
The
project is aimed at improving the efficiency and reliability of decision-making
in the development of European mountain areas, with implications for
the quality of life of both mountain dwellers and lowland inhabitants.
Its innovative aspects include: a quantitative approach; an emphasis
on user-friendliness; the direct involvement of end-users; consideration
of debris flow impacts at a range of scales; provision of new databases;
and a proposal for a standard approach to hazard assessment and zonation.
