Avalanche prevention in the Ukrainian Carpathians – monitoring of the current situation
The aim of the project is the analysis vof the current situation of avalanche prevention, avalanche awareness of recreationists and readiness of the Ukrainian Mountain Rescue Service for extraordinary situations and help the tourists from Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary. Updated information will be the basis for the preparation of a new system of avalanche prevention in the Ukrainian Carpathians
The number of ski tourists from Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia in the Ukrainian Carpathians is increased every year. These tourists create 60% of all recreationists in the region. New ski resorts and ski lifts in the highest parts of mountains open to the public avalanche areas which are potentially dangerous. More and more people are travelling in off-piste terrain or on skitours. Avalanche prevention and rescue training as well as avalanche warning and the possibilities to get good information are necessary. Every year the number of rescue and emergency events increases and at the same time the readiness of rescue service in the Ukraine is behind the European level.
The ski resorts with the highest concentration of recreationists and actual danger of avalanches are the most important: Borzhava, Svidovets, Chornohora. There will start the monitoring of avalanche situation, obtaining avalanche data and their evaluation.
In the Ukrainian Carpathians there are no standard avalanche danger forecast, no avalanche prevention either rescue conditions and no actual avalanche information service like in the neighbouring countries which is used by tourists in Central Europe.
The aim of the project is monitoring of avalanche areas in Transcarpathia, firstly in the areas with the high concentration of skiers and tourists from Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary, and evaluation of the high risk areas and information about them.
The work in the terrain is necessary it is important to localize the avalanche areas where people or objects can be affected by avalanches and to create a map of avalanche prone terrain. The part of the work is also the monitoring of readiness to help, improvement of avalanche knowledge’s and awareness of recreationists.
This project is funded by a small project of the International Visegrad Fund.
