Abstract
To achieve a comprehensive risk assessment of a study area, two main elements are required: data on locations and type of natural hazard processes, and the determination of the exposed and vulnerable assets they threat. However, acquiring this information within a comparably short time period can be challenging: on the one hand, scientific research is not always able to provide ready-to-use data of the required quality on the natural hazard and risk situation, also due to the inherent uncertainties of future developments. If existing studies reveal to be insufficient in the information they provide, newly-initiated research can be needed, which is known to be time and resource demanding.
On the other hand, information on hazards and elements at risk are often retained by local stakeholders and experts. Through their involvement in risk assessment, qualitative information and knowledge on local particularities can be rapidly made available. However, the level of knowledge and awareness differs amongst stakeholders. Moreover, qualitative information acquired through a participatory process needs to be systematically put together to be linked and possibly integrated with quantitative data obtained from existing databases and models.
These challenges have also become evident within the framework of the Interreg Alpine Space project GreenRisk4Alps.
Consequently, a holistic approach is required, not only to select suitable stakeholders to involve but also to ask the right questions to obtain concise but, at the same time, inclusive answers. This approach, that we can call “Rapid Risk Appraisal”, serves to obtain a general risk profile for a study area. The participatory process can serve as a starting point for a more in-depth analysis, providing also a more specific direction in which to focus research. Once the most relevant risks are identified through stakeholder involvement, more in-depth analyses can be carried out on the cause-effects relationships using impact chains.