Public warnings - reducing rain and snowfall related risks

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Risks related to rain and snow belong to the key challenges in the SI-AT programme region. This has been demonstrated by floods in September 2010, large avalanches in February 2009, or snow load damages in spring 2016. However, forecasts and warnings related to such events are currently not harmonised across the Austrian-Slovenian border and the warning institutions partly lack financial and personal resources to sufficiently develop their tools to the current state-of-the-art. Since both countries face similar challenges and since weather processes, natural hazards, and human activities don’t stop at national borders, the proposed project CROSSRISK will pool expertize and foster joint development in the field of forecast and warning of rain- and snowfall-related risks. Consequently, synergistic effects will be exploited and high cost-efficiency will be achieved on both sides of the border. The general goal is to improve safety of population and to better protect infrastructure in the programme region. In addition, tourism will be supported by raising awareness of opportunities and risks, e.g., by improved communication of safety information for backcountry tourists, or by improved forecasts of technical snow production potential. Consequently, many target groups (local/regional/national authorities, companies, NGOs, citizens, and tourists) will benefit from the project. Major project outputs are improved forecasts and warnings concerning rain, floods and snow, their cross-border harmonization and the improvement of their comprehensibility, availability and dissemination. In addition, the information flow between relevant institutions in both countries will be improved and the qualification of their experts will be raised. The innovative aspects of CROSSRISK are novel and harmonised warning tools as well as innovative dissemination and education concepts, which will lead to better awareness of risks and chances in the target groups and consequently to more safety.

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