Europe

Kandersteg, a Swiss village of 1,300 residents, faces hazards from the unstable Spitze Stei rock formation, which poses a landslide risk potentially greater than the 2025 Blatten incident. Increased glacier melt and permafrost thaw, driven by climate change, exacerbate this danger. Authorities monitor the area continuously.

Italy is the country in Europe that suffers the most from natural disasters: it’s the scene of two thirds of landslides that occur on the continent. The island of Ischia is particularly vulnerable, and the problem of uncontrolled urban development is making the damage worse. Some 27,000 of the 64,000 houses on the island do not meet building regulations. As the village of Casamiccciola rebuilds after a deadly landslide in November 2022, the council is trying to reduce risk factors to better adapt to climate change. Our correspondents report.

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