The overall aim of the PermaNET project is to develop a common strategy for dealing with permafrost and related natural hazards under changing climatic conditions. The project aims to enforce good governance practices on the base of a common knowledge, of a jointly developed data base and of a commonly accepted strategy.
The main outputs of PermaNET are:
- the Alpine Space permafrost monitoring network
- the Alpine Space permafrost map
- guidelines for the consideration of permafrost in risk management and water resources management
Alpine Space permafrost monitoring network
PermaNET collects the metadata of the most important permafrost monitoring sites and compiles it into a standardized permafrost monitoring network. On key monitoring sites, new monitoring stations have been installed and instrumented.
- permafrost monitoring sites in the Alpine Space (table view)
- map of the permafrost monitoring sites in the Alpine Space
- documentation
PermaNET provides recommendations for policy-makers for building up national monitoring networks on national and regional scale and a handbook for the installation and maintenance of an Alpine-wide permafrost monitoring network with standards for data acquisition.
- recommendations for policy-makers for building up permafrost monitoring networks
- handbook for the installation and maintenance of permafrost monitoring networks
Alpine Space permafrost map
PermaNET collects and compiles permafrost evidences into an inventory of permafrost evidences and elaborates an Alpine-wide map of the permafrost distribution.
- inventory of permafrost evidences in the Alpine Space (map)
- inventory of permafrost evidences in the Alpine Space (documentation)
- permafrost distribution in the Alpine Space (map)
- permafrost distribution in the Alpine Space (documentation)
- permafrost distribution in the Alpine Space (guidelines for interpreting the map)
Guidelines and recommendations
- Permafrost phenomena and related natural hazards (inclusive the effects of climate change) should be considered in natural hazard and risk management in a common way throughout the Alps.
- The knowledge about permafrost and the effects of climate change to permafrost phenomena and related hazards is fragmented and differs between the Alps. The assemblage of all single experiences and single measurements into one knowledge base provide a more sophisticated decision base than single datasets or even lacking data.
- For all planning tasks in the high mountain environment it is important to know if permafrost occurrence is possible, and in case, what the possible effects to the planned activity are. A raised awareness against the existence of mountain permafrost and the possible adverse effects to economic activities is helpful for controlling the efficiency and sustainability of investments.
PermaNET provides the following recommendations and guidelines:
- state-of-the-art report about the effects of climatic changes to permafrost and related natural hazards
- recommendations for the consideration of the effects of climate changes to permafrost and resulting natural hazards
- SWOT analysis, opportunities and limitations of the tested approaches for detection and monitoring of slope movements in permafrost areas
- recommendations for the consideration of permafrost in drinking water resources management