Michaela Teich

Michaela Teich is a forest scientist who enjoys working across disciplines to better understand and manage protective forests and natural hazard risks in mountain areas. Since 2019, she has been part of the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW) in the Department of Natural Hazards in Innsbruck. In 2021, she became head of the Snow and Avalanche Unit, where she and her interdisciplinary team focus on practice-oriented research on avalanches and protective forests. Michaela also coordinates the IUFRO Snow and Avalanches Unit and serves as Managing Director of the we4DRR network.

Michaela holds an M.Sc. in Forestry from Technische Universität Dresden (TUD), Germany, and completed her PhD in 2013 at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos and ETH Zurich, focusing on forest–avalanche interactions. She then worked as a research associate and teaching assistant at ETH Zurich in the Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems (PLUS) group. During her postdoctoral research at Utah State University in the USA, she spent four years studying snowpack dynamics in forests affected by bark beetles and wildfire.

Protective forests are essential for life in many mountain regions – especially in the European Alps. Michaela enjoys combining her forestry background with her interest in snow and avalanches and is grateful to be able to contribute to the sustainable management of these forests alongside committed colleagues.

Michaela joined we4DRR in 2022 and became Managing Director in 2023. She values the opportunity to share experiences, encourage and support women working in DRR, and help build a strong, welcoming network. Mentoring and learning from others are especially close to her heart. She believes that diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes for everyone — because the best protection against natural hazards is only possible when it’s designed with inclusivity in mind.

Fun fact: Michaela never received formal training in natural hazard management or DRR, but her love of snowboarding and skiing eventually led her into the world of protective forests and avalanche research.