Glacier cancellation in the Lötschental: threat to entire communities!

Glacier cancellation in the Lötschental: threat to entire communities!

Lötschental, Schweiz - in the Lötschental, Switzerland, a glacier cancellation recently occurred, which is considered the millennium. This was registered on Wednesday and will result in a tense situation for the communities located there. Residents in the municipality of Steg-Hohtenn and Gampel-Bratsch are on constant alert, while emergency apps and sirens are available for alarm in the event of an emerging emergency. In the meantime, the situation has relaxed slightly: According to the crisis team, water that is pent -up begins to make its way through the Schuttberg. Experts report a decrease in the amount of water behind the rubble cone, which creates smaller lakes at the lower end.

The village of Blatten, almost completely disappeared under rubble, is about 20 kilometers below the broken glacier. A local person is still missing, and the estimated damage amounts to several hundred million euros. A clearance is currently not possible because the area is unstable and no heavy machines can be used. However, the army is ready to carry out evacuation work as soon as the situation permits. The security situation remains tense, in particular due to the risk of further rock broken off at the demolition point, which is located at around 1,500 meters. In the meantime, possible relationships between this dramatic event and climate change are discussed, even if it is difficult to assign individual events directly. Professor Jan Beutel points out that the changes in the high mountains are largely consequences of climate change that has shaped the past decades.

climate change and its consequences

The latest events in the Lötschental are not isolated. Geologist Flavio Anselmetti warns that similar or even larger events can also be recorded in other Alpine regions. Climate change plays an important role here: the strong warming of the Alpine region destabilizes the permafrost, which promotes an increase in smaller stone strikes and rock falls in recent decades. Professor Michael Krautblatter emphasizes that there has been an “absolute accumulation” of rock falls in the Alps in recent years. The glacier melt and the fast thaw of snow also lead to erosion through water and wind, while the heating of the permafrost favors the mobility of the rock.

Overall, temperature records show that the average temperature in the Alps has increased by more than 2 ° C since the pre -industrial age, which is almost twice the global increase. Glaciers in the Alps are sensitive indicators of climate change. In Switzerland, for example, the glacier area has halved since the small ice age and the ice volume has decreased by 60 %. Schwitter, a mountain guide and rescue specialist, also emphasizes that the glaciers in the Alps, such as the northern and southern snowman, shrink rapidly - from about 300 hectares of ice cream to less than 20 hectares today.

preparations for the future

The events in the Lötschental are another wake -up call in a region that is increasingly struggling with the effects of climate change. It remains to be seen whether and how such disasters will develop in the future. The open questions about the insurance of buildings and the discussion about how many houses in the canton of Valais are actually insured against natural events are just a few of the challenges that are imminent in the region.

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