Managing glacial and periglacial hazards in the Alps: a geohistorical approach

Abstract. Through a geo-historical study, we compile an inventory of glacial and periglacial events that have prompted risk management actions in the European Alps over the last centuries. This management is analysed through seven guiding principles/pillars: hazard understanding, preventive information, land-use planning, monitoring and surveillance, hazard-vulnerability-exposure mitigation, crisis management preparedness, and resilience. The objective of this research is to examine how risk management methods have evolved over time and across different Alpine countries. The western Swiss Alps and the French Alps, home to the highest elevations, have experienced most of the major events.

Certain events, such as the 1892 collapse of the Tête Rousse glacier's water pocket, represent key turning points that mark a rupture or renewal in how risks are perceived and addressed. Today, glacial and periglacial risk management benefits from improved understanding of both hazards and vulnerabilities. Our geo-historical analysis highlights that the inclusion of the population in crisis management has become an increasingly significant factor in making-decision processus. However, current risk management practices remain limited and would benefit from more participatory approaches, which in turn depends partly on the perception of hazards and their integration into management practices.