Natural hazards

Less ice means new lakes, unstable slopes and thawing rock.

Retreating glaciers leave behind unstable moraines and new lakes, and remove the support from the valley flanks. Thawing permafrost loosens steep rock faces. Hazards appear in places that were long considered safe.

Monitoring has become essential: radar, GPS, satellites and cameras watch the most dangerous sites, and early warnings saved lives at Bondo, on the Weissmies and at Blatten.