Mitigating Mud and Debris Flow Hazards: The Role of MurGame in Risk-Aware Village Planning

Authors

  • Catherine Berger 1geo7 AG, Neufeldstrasse 5 - 9, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Florian Zimmermann 2Koboldgames GmbH, Technopark Aargau, Badenerstrasse 13, 5200 Brugg AG, Switzerland
  • Christen Marc 3WSL-Institute for Snow & Avalanche Research (SLF), Flüelastrasse 11, 7260 Davos Dorf, Switzerland

Keywords:

Mudflow, Debris flow, Landslides, Disaster Management, MurGame, Risk Mitigation, Informatics, Simulations

Abstract

Past mud and debris flow incidents, such as those in Bondo (2017) and Brienz (2005) in Switzerland, have received extensive media attention, highlighting the destructive potential of such events. Protection strategies are crucial for managing natural hazards. Debris flows are rare, highly complex, and multifaceted phenomena, making it challenging to predict their trajectory, estimate potential damage, and assess the effectiveness of protective measures. Serious games provide a way to simulate these scenarios. The MurGame, for example, is an application software designed for preventing natural disasters. In this 3D interactive game, users can build a village by choosing various structures like houses schools. Mud and Debris flow simulations then reveal which constructions would be damaged and the extent of the destruction. Players can implement different protective measures to safeguard the village, observing their effectiveness during the simulations. Afterward, it is crucial to assess which measures were successful, their costs, and how well they meet the community’s needs.

Author Biography

  • Catherine Berger, 1geo7 AG, Neufeldstrasse 5 - 9, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.

    Catherine Berger is a key figure at geo7, where she serves as the Managing Director and a specialist in natural hazards. She holds a PhD in natural sciences and has extensive training in both geography and business administration. Her expertise lies in risk management related to environmental hazards such as debris flows and avalanches. She has been involved in innovative projects "MurGame," a serious game designed to raise awareness and improve disaster risk reduction strategies. Her studies focus natural hazards, climate (change), geoinformatics, water hazards (floods, surface runoff and debris flow), hazard assessment and risk analysis to protection concepts.

References

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Bründl, M; H. Romang, H E; Bischof, N; Rheinberger, C M (2009). The risk concept and its application in natural hazard risk management in Switzerland. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. 9: 801 - 813. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-9-801-2009

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Egli Engineering, (2014). RAKAZ - Risikoanalyse Kanton Zürich (2014) https://awel.zh.ch/internet/baudirektion/awel/de/wasser/hochwasserschutz/risikokarte.html

FOEN, 2020, Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, Switzerland, EconoMe 5.0 Dokumentation. https://econome.ch/eco_work/eco_wiki_main.php (April 2020)

Graf, Et al. (2019). An overview of a decade of applied debris-flow run out modelling in Switzerland: challenges and recommendations, in: J.W. Kean, J.A. Coe, P.M. Santi, B.K. Guillen (eds), Debris-flow hazards mitigation: mechanics, monitoring, modelling, and assessment, 7th international conference on debris-flow hazards mitigation (DFHM7), Golden, USA.

SLF (2011). WSL-Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF. RAMMS: DEBRISFLOW (2011) https://ramms.slf.ch/en/modules/debrisflow.html

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Published

2024-10-24

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 4 (2024): Environmental Informatics

Section

Articles

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