STA, 4 August 2021 - A cross-border natural hazards portal has been launched by Slovenia and Austria as a result of a three-year project. Cooperation between the two countries has led to new and improved systems of weather monitoring, forecasts and warnings of floods and avalanches.
Seven organisations from both countries participated in the Crossrisk project, which was launched in June 2018. Wrapping up the project on Wednesday, they presented the results of the initiative at a meeting near the Ljubelj mountain pass practically on the Slovenian-Austrian border.
The portal, available at www.crossrisk.eu, delivers forecasts and warnings in Slovenian, German and English for Slovenia and the southern part of Austria where heavy rain and snow can cause severe damage.
Innovative systems warn about floods, snow melting, snowfall, snow weight and avalanches as well as help users plan outdoor activities, particularly hiking in winter or ski touring, said Miha Pavšek from the ZRC SAZU research centre, one of the participating organisations.
The project was also based on cooperation between Slovenian and Austrian environment agencies with Aleš Poredoš of the former noting that users would benefit from cross-border daily forecasts and warnings regarding winter mountain conditions. Local authorities and ski resorts could consult the portal when deciding on potential evacuation or closure.
Moreover, Crossrisk also provides information on the impact of climate change on precipitation. The EUR 1.3 million project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
