Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 5.3
Key physical, biological and socioeconomic criteria identified taking into account different sectors and important impacts
Key criteria
Sectors
Impacts
Air temperature and
seasonality of rain/snow
Tourism, socioeconomic
activities
Ski season, artificial snow production, number of
tourists, water availability (especially drinking
water), buffering of summer discharge, aquatic
ecosystems, frequency of wildfires, economy
Snowline altitude
Infrastructure, socioeconomic,
health
Roads, railways, winter tourism, snow quality (air
pollution)
Glacier size and orientation
Tourism, economic
Number of tourists, buffering of summer flow,
vegetation extent, natural hazards
Permafrost altitude,
freeze-thaw cycles
Infrastructure, housing,
socioeconomic
Roads, railways, tourist hiking and cycling paths,
natural hazards
Slope gradient and slope
processes
Agriculture, infrastructure
Agricultural productivity, infrastructure and
natural hazards
River levels and
groundwater discharge
Agriculture/energy/tourism/
health
Buffering of droughts, aquatic ecosystems, water
quality, sediment transport, import/export of
virtual water, energy production levels, rafting
tourism, economy
Natural and artificial
reservoirs (dams, etc.)
Economic, agriculture, energy
Mountain irrigation agriculture, aquatic
ecosystems, downstream dam impacts,
acidification, groundwater levels, biodiversity,
river bed stability
(
Continued
)
