Rock the Alps

The overall objective of the project RockTheAlps has been to reinforce and strengthen the implementation of rockfall risk prevention policy and mitigation strategy support in line with a sustainable forest management approach. For achieving that objective, the first harmonized rockfall natural risk and protection forest mapping for the entire Alpine Space have been provided.

As forest covers 40% of the Alpine Space and that one of the major natural risks threatening Alpine Space viability and liveability is rockfall, thus the project RockTheAlps has been specifically dedicated to the enhancement of rockfall  protection forest ecosystems service in risk  management and prevention policy.

The challenge has been to provide for the first time an Alpine space harmonised rockfall risk and protection forest map including an evaluation of the efficacy of this ecosystem service.

The general approach developed by the consortium of the project RickTheAlps has been to:

 1) share knowledge and data,

2) develop an innovative common regional rockfall model considering forest effects,

3) use this model for producing regional maps and to compile them for producing the first Alpine Space wide harmonised map of rockfall risk and protection forests,

4) transfer these maps in existing WEBGIS platforms.

These innovative maps and associated tools have contributed to enhance action 8 - To improve risk management and to better manage climate change, including major natural risks prevention- of the European strategy for the Alpine region (EUSALP) and the forest ecosystems services mapping and valuing actions of Europe 2020 biodiversity strategy. The project outputs (maps, factual data, and syntheses of information) have supported local, regional, national and European governance authorities to assessing and promoting forest based solution in rockfall risk prevention strategy and policy.

For achieving its objectives, RockTheAlps has capitalised and has increased the knowledge gained in previous EU projects (Rockfor, KnowForAlp, Manfred, Paramount,…).

All results and downloads can be found here: https://www.alpine-space.eu/projects/rockthealps/en/results-and-download/download .