NGI has internationally recognised expertise for assessing the risk of natural disasters due to snow avalanches, landslides or earthquakes. We help to protect life and property, and some 25 per cent of NGI's turnover is related to natural disasters.
Our cutting edge expertise in natural geography, meteorology, geology, geotechnology, hydrology, rock mechanics, measuring technology, IT, mathematics and physics enables us to offer a very wide range of consultancy services and products.
Our customers
We provide advice to the business sector, the authorities, landowners and others with responsibility for safety. NGI's work is concerned with natural disasters caused by snow avalanches, soil and rock slides, floods and earthquakes.
NGI delivers
- natural disaster risk mapping
- risk and vulnerability analyses
- avalanche warnings
- contingency plans
- risk zone maps and avalanche and landslide hazard forecasts
- engineering of protective measures
- monitoring systems
- assistance in acute situations
- courses on avalanches and landslides and the risk of occurrences
Detailed list of services relating to natural disasters offered by NGI
The Planning and Building Act sets out requirements regarding the assessment of natural hazards in connection with all building activity in Norway. NGI provides advice and guidance to developers and authorities in accordance with these regulations.
What characterises us
Our experts are familiar with local conditions in the majority of avalanche-prone parts of Norway, and have access to more than 50 years of empirical data. NGI is contacted in connection with most major acute avalanche or landslide events to assist the local authorities and provide safety advice. We have mapped areas of Norway that are at risk from quick clay slides.
Assignments and state-of-the-art expertise
We assess avalanche risk and provide a snow avalanche warning service for the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the Norwegian National Rail Administration and a number of municipalities. The Norwegian Armed Forces draws on NGI's avalanche expertise for all NATO's winter exercises in Norway.
As part of the work to draw up a contingency plan for Stranda Municipality, NGI is actively involved in assessing the avalanche risk on the mountainside at Åkneset. Surveillance systems are also used to monitor the development of rock fractures. NGI and other Norwegian institutions have worked together for the Thai authorities to assess the risk of future tsunamis, and have developed strategies in this connection.
Prime mover for the development of the geosciences
NGI regularly gathers together authorities and institutions with avalanche and landslide expertise for an exchange of experience.
Participation in national and international research projects adds to our expertise. NGI is one of the main participants in the Geoextreme project, which is concerned with snow avalanches, landslides, climate change and extreme weather events. NGI is also heading a sub-project in the EU programme IRASMOS (Integral Risk Management of Extremely Rapid Mass Movements).
We have established a special website for outdoor enthusiasts, www.snoskred.no, with current information on snow avalanche risk, avalanches that have taken place, snow and weather conditions and with links to weather data and other relevant websites.