On May 28, Valais State Councilor Franz Ruppen presented a report questioning the major work to secure the Rhone undertaken since the early 2000s, the third correction of the river. This report had been commissioned from a Lausanne consultancy firm and came to the conclusion that the project followed up to now was too “catastrophic” and “disproportionate.”
Some saw this as an order from the UDC magistrate to obtain scientific conclusions, to corroborate the criticisms of this project coming from his party and from agricultural circles. The canton of Vaud had reacted with astonishment to this Valaisan turnaround. It was right to be concerned about the situation in the Aigle region, where it was necessary to evacuate the risk areas this Sunday.
The events of this weekend, in particular the floods in the Sierre-Chippis region, which have hit the industrial sector hard, have served as a reminder that nature has no interest in reports. Moreover, the vulnerability of this place in the event of a flood has long been known… in reports.
Of course, some will say that this is an exceptional event, a hundred-year flood, but it is the second in 24 years. When will the next one occur? Franz Ruppen will have to answer the question. Some have already come to his defense on Sunday by saying that the Rhone had perfectly played its role as a river by carrying these enormous quantities of rain and melted snow to Lake Geneva, without giving way or overflowing. Except in Sierre.
In light of these new events, the Valais authorities will have to rethink the 3rd correction of the Rhone by putting aside the political prism surrounding this issue. In particular, it would be necessary to keep the planned widenings in the plain, which must break the dynamic of the river slide that makes it so threatening.
This Sunday, it was the Sierre region that paid the price. But if we can predict where the river can flow out, it would be smarter and above all more reassuring for everyone.
