Another Swiss Village Faces Risk of an Alpine Collapse

It's becoming an unfortunately familiar story in Switzerland: The village of Kandersteg, ringed by glaciers and green valleys in Bern canton, sits beneath an unstable rock face known as Spitze Stei that scientists say could eventually send millions of cubic meters of debris crashing into the valley, reports the Independent. If the warning sounds extreme, the former residents of the Swiss village of Blatten, which got flattened last year in a glacier collapse, might disagree.

"You are aware that it's happening, but not afraid," Kandersteg resident Brigitte Jüni tells the AP. "But then it's nature. It's nature, and you never know." The looming threat is tied to thawing permafrost and retreating glaciers, which researchers say are loosening the "cement" that holds Alpine slopes together. Kandersteg officials say they're as prepared as they can be, pointing to constant monitoring and evacuation plans, and the consensus at the moment is that Spitze Stei is more likely to degrade gradually than come down in one fell swoop. Still, one climate and energy expert warns that as temperatures rise, landslides are likely to increase—and some Swiss valleys may one day be too risky or costly to inhabit.