Blatten Evacuation: Reflections on Alpine Slope Failures in a Changing Climate
- Post by: Randy Muñoz
- June 12, 2025
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In recent days, the full evacuation of the village of Blatten (Lötschental) due to the progressing slope failure at Klein Nesthorn (3342 m a.s.l.) has drawn national attention in Switzerland and beyond. EClim member Christian Huggel shared his expert perspective on the event and its broader implications.
🔹 Permafrost and slope instability: While multiple geological factors are involved in alpine slope failures, permafrost warming—accelerated by climate change—is a key driver. At Klein Nesthorn, permafrost reaches over 100 meters deep, and it is highly unlikely that it has not influenced the collapse.
🔹 Are these events increasing? Smaller- to medium-scale rockfalls have increased since the 1990s, and growing evidence suggests that large alpine slope failures (>1 million m³) are also becoming more frequent in the Alps and other mountain regions.
🔹 Is this the future of alpine communities? Events like in Blatten show we’ve moved beyond historical precedent. Settlements once considered safe now face threats from new, climate-exacerbated hazards. Huggel warns that more villages may face similar threats, with protection becoming technically or financially unfeasible in some cases.
This disaster illustrates the need for climate-informed hazard monitoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, and support for local communities under stress.
🎥 Watch SRF’s video coverage
🔗 Read Christian Huggel’s full comment on LinkedIn