Modelling in the lab is one thing, practical work in the field is another. In a block course, students learn how to properly produce hazard maps and conduct risk analyses – and come into direct contact with people from affected communities in Valais.

The course GEO805 Natural Hazard and Risk Analysis in Mountain Regions started off in mid-September with a lab part where students learn to model debris flows on the computer. The simulation results form the basis for analyzing debris flow hazards in the field.

For the next three days we headed to Herbriggen / Sankt Niklaus in the Mattertal in Valais – after many years of holding the field course in Lauterbrunnen. The students learned how to appropriately produce hazard maps and conduct risk analyses. Impressive how active the various debris flow channels are in the communities of St. Niklaus and Randa, an ideal place to learn the practice. Especially interesting and enriching was the exchange with community staff of St. Niklaus which made us understand how they impressively manage the challenge of multiple and frequent natural hazards on their territory.

The course aims at training students “on the job” and prepare them for work in practice in natural hazard consultancy companies or in cantonal or federal administration. Over the years, together with various colleagues, we have trained about 300 students, many of them now in professional jobs in this field. Shared insights into their daily practice by colleagues from companies like Geotest and geoformer igp AG has been much appreciated by students.

GEO805 Natural Hazard and Risk Analysis in Mountain Regions