Valais, Switzerland

Regional Demonstrators

About the region

Geography: Valais is a major Alpine valley in southern Switzerland, home to the Matterhorn and large glaciers. As Switzerland’s third-largest canton and a vital water source for the Rhône, Rhine and Danube, it is at the forefront of climate adaptation. Rising temperatures are causing permafrost thaw, soil instability and severe droughts that threaten agriculture, infrastructure and tourism.

Key sectors: Tourism, energy (hydropower) and agriculture (vineyards and fruit)

Role: Demonstrator region

The Swiss demonstrator aims to create a system, grounded in scientific data, that fosters dialogue, co-creation of solutions, faster decision-making and adoption by a wide range of stakeholders. It has three main components:

Quantitative and qualitative monitoring of the watershed, including next-generation sensors that provide flow data in natural environments
A digital platform that translates mountain data into simple, understandable and engaging indicators for all stakeholders, including non-specialists, exploring data representation, cultural dimensions and complementary services
Methods and services to implement this platform in public communities, supporting decision-making on water management and climate change

The demonstrator aims to build a new relationship between society, the environment and scientific knowledge through the practical implementation of innovative digital and social solutions.

Climate challenges in Valais

• Glacier retreat affecting water availability for farming and energy
• Thawing permafrost causing rockfalls and slope instabilityHeat island effects in valley cities such as Sion

What has been done so far

Watershed monitoring: quantitative sensors installed, and remote qualitative sensors developed for near real-time data collection
Digital architecture: raw data converted into relative indicators
Digital platform: the core challenge of engagement clarified, key interface parameters defined and refined, co-creation workshops held on how indicators are represented, and additional content developed to encourage engagement
Working with communities: workshops with municipalities completed, stakeholder umbrella organisations (e.g. farmers, tourism) involved, decision-making processes and engagement factors analysed, and a literature review carried out to support the methodology
Outreach: communication plan developed, and contributions prepared for large-audience events and collaborations with museums

Key partners

• Canton of Valais
• EPFL+ECAL Lab (Design Research Centre)
• Apptitude
• Blueark
• FDDAA