Risk of Debris Flows in Åre : Literature Review of the Current Risk for Debris Flows in Åre Municipality and Predictions for the Future

Abstract: Several debris flows have affected Åre municipality (Sw. Åre kommun) in the last 20 years. Jämtlandis a declared risk area for landslides and debris flows and there is an even higher probability oflandslides causing great damage around the Åre urban area. Debris flows are fast mass movements inwhich a large volume of saturated soil floats down an incline. Basic conditions are steep inclines,erodible soil and high pore-pressure in the soil. The existing literature on the subject is in agreementthat debris flows pose a considerable risk for Åre town because of the combination of steep slopes,high precipitation, land use and geology. Debris flows are often triggered by heavy precipitation and with the changing climate, precipitationpatterns are expected to change, which will have implications for the risk of debris flows in Jämtland,thus, making this issue more critical. Moreover, climate change could also increase tourism inJämtland in the short term. This could result in an increasing demand for further exploitation, thechange of land use could potentially lead to an increase of the debris flow risk in the area. To furtherunderstand how the planned future development in Åre may affect the consequences of debris flows, acomparison between areas with a risk of debris flows and plans of future development for housing inthe municipality’s current overview plan has been made. This comparison showed five areas ofpotential overlap between future development and risk areas for debris flows. Conclusively, thisindicates that future development could increase the consequences of debris flows if no mitigatingactions are taken. Åre municipality has been criticised for their inaction regarding the lack of mitigation strategies andprotection measures against debris flows in both the media and authority documents. Municipalitiesare responsible for planning future development and therefore, Åre municipality should focus ongaining more knowledge and in addition, establish follow up routines and a network for stakeholders.Regarding climate change, the property owner is liable for implementing the protection measuresneeded which sometimes can be very complex.