Alluvial fans and debris cones are predominant sedimentary elements in mountain rivers and torrents. In these conical landforms the whole history of the water course is stored providing information about extreme events, climate change or changes of human land use. They serve a major source for risk assessment concerning floods, debris flow or mud avalanches and give insight into the bedload regime of the river or creek. In the last decades human activites have strongly altered the surface of alluval fans in the Alps. For this reason there is an urgent need for new or improved methods of investigation to gain a better understanding of erosion an deposition processes in the watershed and on the alluvial fan. The session should attract scientists from different branches particularly from the field of geology, geomorphology, hydrology and sedimentology who are able to contribute with their presentation to a interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge concerning alluvial fans. In addition the session should make this information accessible for the practice of natural hazard management.
Climate change is expected to have a multiple impact on the risks due to geological and water related hazards. An increase of frequancy and intensity of catastrophic events is predicted although available data are not meaningful enough in order to proof changes on a regional level. The development of protection strategies and migitigation measures is highly dependant on realistic models for dangerous processes and precise assessment of hazard potential in watersheds and risk areas. The specification of design events (design criterion) for structural and non-structural protection measures is of paramount importance their effectiveness. Uncerainties due to Climate Chance may cause failure in planning concerning stability, durability, usability and level of protection. Furthermore the optimization of integrated risk management strategies (including land use, event management, preparedness) is dependant on a reliable knowledge of all possible catastrophe scenarios.
The session should attract all scientists and practioneers who work in the field of risk assessment, modelling of natural hazard processes, hazard mapping, risk planning, design of protection measures and event management concering different natural hazards (floods, debris flow, avalanches, landslides, rock fall, permafrost, storms) and serve as a platform for an exchange of experiance and new approaches to a better adaptation of natural hazard management to climate change.