Abstract
Disasters induced by natural hazards or extreme events consist of interacting human and natural components. While progress has been made to mitigate and adapt to natural hazards, much of the existing research lacks interdisciplinary approaches that equally consider both natural and social processes. More importantly, this lack of integration between approaches remains a major challenge in developing disaster risk management plans for communities. In this study, we made a first attempt to develop a conceptual model of a coupled human-landscape system in Swiss Alpine communities. The conceptual model contains a system dynamics (e.g. interaction, feedbacks) component to reproduce community level, socio-economic developments and shocks that include economic crises leading to unemployment, depopulation and diminished community revenue. Additionally, the conceptual model contains climate, hydrology, and geomorphic components that are sources of natural hazards such as floods and debris flows. Feedbacks between the socio-economic and biophysical systems permit adaptation to flood and debris flow risks by implementing spatially explicit mitigation options including flood defenses and land cover changes. Here we justify the components, scales, and feedbacks present in the conceptual model and provide guidance on how to operationalize the conceptual model to assess risk and community resilience as well as determine which shocks overcome the buffering capacity of Swiss Alpine communities.
Highlights
Recent extreme natural hazards have captured the attention of the global community, consisting of policymakers, non-profit organizations, and stakeholders, to society's vulnerability to these events
We provide the rationale for the conceptual model components and illustrate their necessity using data that is specific for Oberhasli
MC-coupled human landscape systems (CHLS) focuses on two natural hazards or biophysical shocks because they have had the highest consequences so far: debris flows and floods
Summary
Recent extreme natural hazards have captured the attention of the global community, consisting of policymakers, non-profit organizations, and stakeholders, to society's vulnerability to these events. In the period between 2005 and 2014, globally over 70% of peopled killed by different natural hazards were documented in mountainous countries (Klein et al, 2019) These natural hazards occur within an interconnected broader social and biophysical context that may include economic crises and climate change that can further exacerbate losses and fatalities. These social and biophysical conditions are apparent in European mountain communities that differ regarding their ability to cope with these risks and build resilience. In addition to mounting risk of natural hazards, the resilience of European Alpine communities must contend with foreseeable economic changes in hydropower generation and tourism, and social changes that may cause the loss of cultural landscapes (IPCC, 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
