International Symposium on Mitigative Measures against Snow ...

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Symposium</strong> on Mitigative Measures against Snow Avalanches
Egilsstaðir, Iceland, March 11–14, 2008
The role of the Icelandic Avalanche and Landslide Fund
Magnús Jóhannesson
Ministry for the Environment, Skuggasund 1, IS-150 Reykjavik, ICELAND
e-mail: magnus.johannesson (at) environment.is
ABSTRACT
In the wake of two catastrophic avalanches in two small towns in the north-west of Iceland in
the year 1995, the Icelandic Government decided to reorganise its support and at the same
time increase public funding to local communities for dealing with threat from avalanches and
landslides. Apart from designating the Icelandic Meteorological Office as the expert advisory
body, the Government established an Avalanche and Landslide Fund to provide funding for
local communities to implement the necessary measures. The Avalanche and Landslide Fund
has played a central role in establishing the safety criteria for avalanche and landslide
protection measures as well as providing for over 90% of the real cost of such measures
undertaken in local communities in Iceland since 1995.
1. INTRODUCTION
Catastrophic avalanches in the small towns of Súðavík and Flateyri in 1995 caused 34
fatalities and extensive economic damage. These tragic events changed the public and political
opinion on avalanche safety in Iceland, in part because the avalanches fell in areas
considered to be outside avalanche hazard zones. These events demonstrated clearly that a
complete review was needed of all aspects of risk assessment, hazard evaluation and
protective measures against avalanches and landslides. Furthermore, the administration in
this field needed to be strengthened. Hazard evaluation which had been carried out for
several communities with known avalanche hazard at the time was deemed to be of limited
value in light of the tragic events. The time had come to use a scientific approach for hazard
zoning of populated areas in the various small towns around the country.
The prime minister established a committee in the fall of 1995 to review the legal framework
from 1985 in the field of protection from avalanches and landslides. The administration of
these matters at the federal level was at the time considered complex and the responsibilities
were unclear. The task of the committee was to redefine the role of the government in the
field of avalanche and landslides and give authority and overall responsibility to a single body
in the administration. Financial support by the government to the municipalities subjected to
avalanche hazard was to be increased to facilitate the construction of protective structures by
the local authorities. In addition, the committee was to make proposals to increase the safety
of people in case of avalanche risk.
The committee proposed the following four actions:
(1) Strengthening of requirements for municipalities to secure protection from avalanches
and landslides.
(2) The administration in the field of avalanches and landslides to be transferred from
the Ministry of Social Affairs to the Ministry for the Environment.
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