Rhône floods: the Council of State asked to act “urgently”

The catastrophic floods of the Rhône in June 2024 are once again stirring minds in Valais. Indeed, the Union of Valais Cities (UVV) has just called on the Council of State so that lessons can be learned and measures taken quickly to avoid situations as extreme as that experienced by the City of Sierre. It therefore urgently calls for an inventory, for each of the cities, which details the measures to secure the river as well as an intervention timetable.

“We do not want to revisit past events and their management. But it is urgent to act to guarantee the safety of the population and businesses. This is why we expect the Canton to quickly establish and send us a precise timetable for carrying out measures to secure the Rhône,” explains Philippe Varone, president of the UVV.

The UVV, which brings together the municipalities of Sion, Martigny, Monthey, Sierre, Brigue-Glis, Naters, Visp, St-Maurice and Leuk, also calls for the implementation of a post-disaster management plan for this type of events. “Learning lessons from the past and forging the support that municipalities will need in the future constitutes an important project,” she writes. A challenge that must be taken up by the canton, in collaboration with the municipalities concerned, according to her.