Protection against natural hazards is becoming increasingly important as global temperatures rise and settlement areas expand. In Switzerland, this is pursued through the principles of integrated risk management. This framework encompasses all measures and methods designed to ensure long-term and equitable safety for the population as well as for valuable goods and natural resources.
Whether this is successful depends, among other things, on how the actors involved – especially the populations of affected areas – perceive and respond to (climate-related) natural hazards.
Closing research gaps
Studies from Switzerland show that those affected tend to react to natural hazards, rather than to actively explore adaptation options based on their existing knowledge. There is a discrepancy between the perception of natural hazard risks and the implementation of appropriate action to deal with them.
Open questions remain, particularly regarding
• the involvement of all relevant stakeholder groups and their cooperation within an integrated risk management framework, and
• the translation of knowledge into action among affected populations, particularly among private individuals.
To close these research gaps, the project addresses the following questions:
• What obstacles hinder cooperation among key actors in integrated risk management, and what factors facilitate it?
• How can these barriers be dismantled while drivers of cooperation are strengthened?
• Which factors (especially communicative, social, psychological, and behavioural) influence the gap between risk perception and solution-oriented action among the affected population?
• How can we bridge the gap between knowing the risk and taking action?
Key benefits
The project combines a literature synthesis and expert interviews with collaborative workshops in which practitioners and scientists co-create new findings. By working with partners from research and practice, the project aims to develop approaches for enhancing cooperation in risk management. The project also seeks to identify factors that foster proactive attitudes towards natural hazard prevention among those affected.
While the project focuses on the canton of Bern, it is designed in such a way that its findings can also be transferred to other cantons and regions.
