Climate Impacts on sediment dynamics in Mountain-river Basins (CLIMB)

2025-2028

Funding:  Green 2030

PI: Jan-Christoph Otto

Collaboration: Sabine Dietel, Roan Hick, Andreas Lang, Veronika Tenczer, Jörg Robl

Scientific and Institutional Partners: Hydro Service Salzburg, Torrent and Avalanche Control (WLV), BOKU University Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and River Research

Summary:

Climate change impacts on catchments of the cryosphere are linked to glacier cover and decrease, changes in permafrost and snow cover affecting water and sediment release dynamics. These changes can have downstream effects on river morphology, ecosystem productivity, water supply, hazard management, and hydropower production. Climate change impacts on alpine sediment fluxes are considered understudied but essential for adapted river and risk management in alpine regions. CLIMB aims at closing this knowledge gap using the Eastern Alps as living lab to address this relevant issue of climate change adaptation.