Mayor says why mountain villages have a future

Francesco Walter, Mayor in Walliser Bergdorf, is annoyed by the debate as to whether life in the mountain valleys costs the general public too much. A peppered interview.

Just four days after the natural disaster from Blatten, the Sunday press launched the debate about the future of the mountain villages. The question of the « willingness to pay for the myth of Alps », wrote the editor -in -chief of the « NZZ am Sonntag » on Falkenstrasse in Zurich. « Protection buildings cost the general public, » he stated, recalling suggestions from economists to « have some valleys overgrown ». With a view to the statements of solidarity from Bundesbern, he overwritten his text: « Politics is currently tapped into the empathyfall ».

In the Valais mountain village, the mayor then reached the keys and sent a letter to the editor. In it, Francesco Walter writes of outrage, disappointment « and last but not least anger ». We reach Mayor Walter on Monday on the phone.

Mr. Walter, what angry you on Sunday?

Francesco Walter: We have to keep the situation of the people affected out of blades: they have lost everything, are still traumatized. The cemetery was also buried – the memorial to friends and relatives. We cannot even imagine what it looks like in the people who lost everything four days ago. In this situation, to tear a debate about the costs and benefits of the mountain villages from the fence is simply out of place.

Nevertheless, allow the question: Why do people want to live in villages where, in the worst case, a landslide threatens you?

« Want » is the wrong word. We live here. We have a centuries -old history here. When these villages were created, people looked at the dangers, looked closely at where and where not. With the advent of tourism, the construction of holiday homes, these dangers were temporarily not taken into account. But today we have hazard cards. And we have avalanches of avalanches and protective forests, including for centuries. We can deal with the dangers.

Now, however, experts fear that there are more slips and misery to be feared as a result of climate change. Doesn’t that change the starting point for you?

Certainly not at the moment. Blatten is a century event that has always existed. For example, the Buzza di Biasca in the 16th century: First, a landlord spilled a village, the river dammed up on the rubble cone, but broke through a few years later. The tidal wave destroyed the whole level at Bellinzona, several hundred people died. Then you learned where you can build and where not.

In short: there can always be something like that?

Yes. A earthquake in Basel is also possible. And nobody would now demand to clear Basel as a precaution because something could happen at some point. It is simply built as an earthquake -proof as possible. Prevention was also installed at Sihlsee for many millions – to protect Zurich. Nobody would say that in Zurich you shouldn’t build close to the Sihl.

In Blatten, however, the mountain and the glacier have crashed.

Yes, and it was done right: the danger zones were monitored, people warned in good time and evacuated. Such a huge disaster was not predictable.

Swinding solidarity with the mountain areas?

No, luckily not. This also shows the willingness to donate according to nature events.

Nevertheless: Can a protective construction for, for example, a hamlet with five houses cost more than the value of these houses?

Imagine when you live there yourself, maybe your grandparents lived there when you have renovated the house or even set up yourself – then you are connected to the place. However, if it shows that the place is simply too dangerous to life, then as a mayor you have to look for the conversation, carefully make it clear to people what that means and find a solution. But I think that such questions are undifferentiated in the media.

How should such a debate be conducted?

First of all with restraint. It does not need advice from a distance now, which is to be done in blades. People there know that themselves. They also know where they can catch up with the necessary expertise.

Does life in the mountain valleys have a future?

In any case. In the mountain villages, all the people who take care of the protective forests, who, as mountain farmers, keep the Alps free and thus ensure that in the event of storms, do not harm more of all -off wood – this is a work from which the general public also benefits in the lowlands. Or those experts who ensure the operation of the reservoirs and turbine systems produce our electricity: they cannot escape from Zurich every day. And finally all the people in tourism from whom the whole country benefits. They also live in mountain valleys. We are dependent on each other in Switzerland.