Swiss Glacier Collapse Is a Lesson on Climate Disaster Management

A Swiss mountain slope bursting and unleashing a cascade of rocks and ice over an idyllic Alpine village last week was a chilling image, but also the symbol of a well-managed climate crisis.

The collapse of the Birch glacier in the Swiss Alps was an expected disaster. Authorities and scientists had been monitoring the area closely and when the first signs of instability started to appear, over a week before the event, they evacuated the town of Blatten, on the valley below the glacier. The landslide obliterated about 90% of the village and one person is missing, according to Swiss authorities.