Kaunertal outreach workshop

The PHUSICOS Concept Case in the Kaunertal, Austria organized an education and outreach workshop in a local primary school on the 14th of May 2019.

Together with three PhD-students and 6 undergraduate students from the University of Vienna and the University of Salzburg, the organized event focussed on climate change adaption in high mountain environments.

In different hands-on lessons the 50 kids aged 8-9 years got to know the effects of high precipitation events on slope stability and the occurrence of landslides, they tested the positive effects of vegetation to prevent erosion, they learned about the increase of sediment transport after glacier retreat and explored the effect of rising temperatures on ecological communities. In a final discussion, research methods to investigate these phenomena were described and the positive prospects using nature based solutions were highlighted.

The workshop was used to connect with local stakeholders, as the format was co-designed with the local Climate-Adaption-Project (https://klar-anpassungsregionen.at/klar-regionen/details/klar-kaunergrat-1/) and had the goal to spread awareness for local challenges concerning climate change and sensitize the public to the application of nature based solutions in high mountain areas.

For eventual questions, please contact: sabine.kraushaar@univie.ac.at