Addressing the risks of future weather extremes in Alpine regions

Local and regional risk management authorities in Alpine regions increasingly require advanced data, methodologies, tools and policies to better understand and address the growing intensity, frequency and complexity of climate-driven hazards and their cascading impacts and risks. This side event will present the latest developments in assessing and managing current and future risks driven by weather extremes in the Alps, showcasing results from the Interreg Alpine Space X-RISK-CC project (How to adapt to changing weather eXtremes and associated compound RISKs in the context of Climate Change). Contributions covering multiple aspects of climate-related risks will be provided, including the analysis of current and future weather extremes in the Alps, the integration of climate projections into hazard assessments, the evaluation of risk management practices, and the needs for increasing preparedness levels in transnational risk governance. Attendees will gain insights into ongoing and future changes in weather extremes, a new Alpine-wide webGIS for accessing climate information, innovative participatory risk assessment methodologies as well as the required advances in adaptive planning, emergency preparedness, and transnational policy frameworks. The event aims to position the X-RISK-CC initiative for the Alps within a broader European context, including development of the forthcoming European Climate Adaptation Plan, and to foster cooperation among public institutions, the scientific community, and risk management practitioners – highlighting collaboration as a key driver in advancing knowledge and resilience to climate change in Alpine countries.