Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction
On behalf of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, I would like to express my sorrow over the glacier landslide disaster that hit the Swiss Alpine village of Blatten, in the canton of Valais.
According to the Swiss Seismological Service, this was one of the largest mass movements recorded in the country. The disaster largely destroyed the village and one person is reportedly missing. The loss of this tranquil village, located in an area that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a loss for the entire world.
That said, this tragedy could have been much worse if not for the quick actions of Swiss authorities, who provided early warning to the village’s residents and evacuated them, and their livestock, days ago. This is a testament to the power of disaster risk reduction in reducing loss of life and protecting livelihoods. Over the decades, the Swiss have developed significant expertise in managing mountain-related disaster risks and have been generously sharing it with countries across the world.
It is also a reminder of the rising cost of disasters and the increasing danger of glacier-related disasters in a warming planet. Mountain communities around the world, from the Alps to the Andes and the Himalayas, are threatened by increasing intensity and frequency of mountain-related hazards. Their lives, ways of life, culture, and heritage are all threatened.
As we prepare to join Switzerland in welcoming delegates from 175 countries to the 8th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, I call on all countries to make “every day count” and accelerate action to fully implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction so we may achieve a significant reduction in disaster losses by the year 2030.