Swiss politician pledges not to abandon valleys after devastating storms

Maissen: "We will not abandon entire valleys" Keystone-SDA

Carmelia Maissen, head of the cantonal department of infrastructure, energy, and mobility, has cautioned against adopting a "narrow and cynical view" on the resettlement of Alpine valleys.

David Bresch, professor of Weather and Climate Risks at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich also said that the debate encompasses not only financial considerations but also emotions and a sense of homeland.

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In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, the politician of the Centre Party in canton Graubünden said that resettlement could occur in specific cases. “We certainly will not abandon entire valleys,” said Maissen. However, it is a reality that settlement patterns have always been subject to change, and this will continue to be the case in the future.

Settlement areas and infrastructure have expanded in recent years. As a result, these areas have become more vulnerable, said Maissen. However, we should not forget that “the last few days have also shown that we have made many correct decisions over the last 50 years,” she continued.

Climate scenarios

According to Maissen, it is now time to analyse the storms. Taking climate scenarios into account, it is necessary to foresee where vulnerabilities lie and evaluate them accordingly.

In an interview with Swiss media, Professor Bresch mentioned that global warming had not been considered when creating the hazard maps. This needs to change. “As long as global warming persists, evacuations will rise,” he said. This phenomenon is not new, and the associated damages will also escalate.

Emotional and financial benefits

Bresch said that whether the financial investment in protective measures is worthwhile cannot be universally answered for an entire area. However, the question arises for individual and highly exposed locations. He urged people to take personal responsibility, saying: “You also need to honestly ask yourself: why am I here, why did I purchase this property?” The benefits are not only measurable in financial terms but they are also “deeply emotional”.

Maissen criticised the fact that the discussion about relocation is being conducted purely from a financial perspective. The President of the Conference of the cantonal governments in the cantons of Uri, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Glarus, Appenzell Inner Rhodes, Graubünden, Ticino, and Valais stated that resettlement would constitute a significant upheaval for those affected, who would lose their homes.

In addition to the mountain population, the contribution of mountain regions to the country as a whole is also being overlooked: electricity production, transport and supply infrastructure, and recreational areas. Decentralised settlement is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. “Therefore, we must do everything possible and sensible to ensure that this continues,” said Maissen.

Translated from German by DeepL/sp

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