Blaten sinks into chaos: Glacier cancellation brings water chaos!

Blaten sinks into chaos: Glacier cancellation brings water chaos!

Blatten, Schweiz - gigantic water masses have buried the village of Blatten in the Lötschental in Switzerland. A dropping of glaciers led to massive rock, ice and scree quantities that devastated the region. The Lonza river was blocked so that a dangerous lake formed, the water level of which increased in critical moments by up to three meters per hour. According to Christian Studer from the Natural Rounds of the Canton of Valais, the security Situation was so unstable that disaster assistants and members of the army could not intervene. The rubble mountain, consisting of loose material and glacier ice cream, remains an acute threat to the residents.

The fact that several hundred thousand cubic meters of rock could crash at the demolition point on the small fog horn at the demolition point on the small fog horn. Authorities have already cleared individual houses along the river bed and focus primarily on the danger assessment and organizational measures. In order to counteract possible other disaster incidents, a reservoir near Ferden on the Lonza was emptied to serve as a catch basin. Nevertheless, there is a dreaded “Worst Case” scenario, in which more water and deposit could get into the reservoir than it can cope with. The situation requires maximum vigilance.

water resources under pressure

The incident in Switzerland is not only a local problem, but also reflects the global challenges in dealing with water resources. According to a current report by the UN and UNESCO, which will be published on March 21, mountains are decisive water sources for billions of people. They play an important role in drinking water supply as well as food and energy safety. At the same time, warns of the catastrophic consequences of climate change for mountain ecosystems. Head warming leads to accelerated glacier melt, which leads to less and unreliable water availability in many regions.

The problems are serious: a quarter of the world population already suffers from extreme water shortages and half have a serious lack of water at times. In addition, over 2 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. Water consumption increases annually, especially due to households and industry. Ulla Burchardt from the German UNESCO Commission emphasizes the political neglect of the mountains, which further exacerbates the situation. Robust water supply systems and international cooperation are recommended for sustainable water management.

While the eyes of the world are aimed at the disaster in Blatten, the next World Water Day on March 22nd will again raise awareness of the importance of access to water and sanitary facilities. At the same time, the UN declares a decisive measure for the International Year of Glacier Protection to support future water management in sensitive regions. In Switzerland, the population remains on alert in the affected areas and hopes for quick and effective reactions from the authorities.

For more detailed information about the current developments, you can report the reports of the Kleine Zeitung href = "https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/blatten-in-schweiz-nach-gletscher absturt-dorf-im-loetschtal-nun-wasser-a-04dc8f14-a730-ab82-20d14bafa7aa" Class = "Source_2"> SPIEGEL Read. Further information on the global water problems can also be found on the page of UNESCO .