Item: A MULTI-LEVEL AVALANCHE RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY: A CASE STUDY FROM NORTHWESTERN ITALY (AOSTA VALLEY)
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Title: A MULTI-LEVEL AVALANCHE RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY: A CASE STUDY FROM NORTHWESTERN ITALY (AOSTA VALLEY)
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Rubino, A. [ Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy ] [ Safety of Infrastructures and Constructions Interdepartmental Center (SISCON), Turin, Italy ]
- Matzuzzi, M. [ Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy ]
- Frigo, B. [ Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy ] [ Safety of Infrastructures and Constructions Interdepartmental Center (SISCON), Turin, Italy ] [ Vice-President, Fondazione Montagna sicura, Montagne sûre, Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy ]
- Dellavedova, P. [ Fondazione Montagna sicura, Montagne sûre, Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: The increasing frequency and magnitude of natural extreme events endangering the built environment highlight the need for effective policy-oriented tools to assess, manage, and mitigate the associated risk. This work presents a simple multi-level methodology recently adopted in Italy for the risk assessment of buildings and infrastructures exposed to avalanche hazards, with a focus on supporting risk-informed decision-making. For each exposed element, the procedure provides risk matrices in which five risk classes (low, medium-low, medium, medium-high, high) are defined based on the evaluation of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. These factors are assessed through simplified and standardized criteria, relying on existing hazard mapping and key characteristics of the exposed assets, including individual buildings and linear infrastructures (network systems). The methodology is designed to be integrated into policy frameworks, providing a basis to support the prioritization of interventions and the optimal allocation of public financial resources. The application of the proposed methodology is shown with respect to a municipality in the Valle d'Aosta region (north-west Italy), considering multiple avalanche basins. The results provide a hierarchical classification of risk, supporting both at the scale of individual buildings within each basin and across different basins within the investigated territory. The strengths and limitation of the proposed framework are discussed, highlighting its potential to bridge the gap between technical risk assessment and operational risk governance in avalanche-prone areas.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P4.18.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790099283
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Mattia Matzutzi
Keywords: risk management; built environment; vulnerability; exposure; resource allocation
Page Number(s): 777 - 784
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