New Hazard Maps for Blatten: A Milestone for Re-Settlement and Inclusive Governance

• Post by: Randy Muñoz
• December 2, 2025
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On 7 November, new hazard maps for Blatten were presented to the public, marking a crucial step in the re-settlement process of the village following recent rock slope failures at Kleines Nesthorn. These maps now serve as the foundation for planning and implementing relocation measures.

In an interview with SRF – Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, Christian Huggel emphasized several key points:

• Expert Collaboration: Switzerland benefits from highly skilled experts in natural hazards—from private consultancies to cantonal and federal authorities—who worked together under significant time pressure to produce these maps. Universities like UZH play a vital role in training the next generation for these tasks.
• Hazard Assessment: The maps were carefully developed using state-of-the-art methods. Settlement areas in the valley remain scarce, with large portions classified as red zones (construction prohibited), primarily due to avalanche risks. These zones have expanded because of ongoing hazards linked to rock slope failures. However, potential rebuilding areas have been identified in Weissenried, Gassun, Blatten, and Eisten.
• Next Challenges: While creating hazard maps was demanding, the real challenge lies ahead—detailed planning and implementation of re-settlement. Questions such as “Who wants to live where?” remain unresolved.
• Governance Matters: Local authorities aim to accelerate rebuilding to preserve social cohesion, leaning toward a top-down approach. Huggel cautions that evidence from scientific research, including the IPCC WGII AR6, shows that inclusive governance processes lead to more effective, enduring, and sustainable outcomes. Blatten has the potential to become a model case, not only for Switzerland but internationally—if the process is valued as much as the outcome.

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📺 Watch the SRF interview

📄 SRF article