PRODUCTION OF HAZARD, VULNERABILITY AND RISK MAPS IN THE EVENT OF AVALANCHES AND ROCKFALLS FOR A SECTION OF THE BOHINJ RAILWAY LINE

Abstract

Provision of continuous transport links between economic and social centres and their hinterland is the basis of economic development and broader social welfare. These links may be interrupted by human activities and natural processes, particularly extreme events. For this reason, in order to avoid adverse effects, the best approach is to build traffic routes in areas where the risk of natural disasters is the lowest. In the Alpine region, formed by mountains, hills and intermediate, sometimes very narrow, valleys, transport infrastructure can often only be built in more or less exposed areas. The Alpine world, in which, due to topographic and climatic characteristics, conditions for welfare and prosperity are already more difficult than in lowland areas, is additionally paralysed by the suspension of transport links. Integration of the existing knowledge on the management of natural hazards and its introduction into the field of transport infrastructure security was the goal of the EU PARAmount project. The project is part of the “Objective 3 European Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013 / Operational Programme ‘Alpine Space’” and is partially funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The project includes 13 partners from five Alpine countries. As part of the project, the Slovenian partners (the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering of the University of Ljubljana and the Torrent and Erosion Control Service) produced hazard, vulnerability and risk maps for the event of avalanches and rockfalls in the test area: section of the Bohinj railway line Podbrdo – Most na Soči (Baška grapa).