Introduction to CREALP

Created in 1968 by the Canton of Valais and the Sion Town Council, the RESEARCH CENTRE OF ALPINE ENVIRONMENTS (CREALP) is a foundation dedicated to applied research in the domain of earth, water and atmospheric sciences. Research work is financed according to the various project agreements made between Scientific research national funds, federal and cantonal offices as well as by the public or private organisations directly concerned. The CREALP possesses a dozen employees, men and women.

The work of CREALP aims at the major socio-economic goal of helping mountain populations to live in complete safety in Alpine valleys and, at the same time, uniting long-lasting development with valorisation of the wealth of the countryside and the substratum as well as possible.

Among the research work undertaken during the 1990's, we can quote : the GEOTHERMOVAL programme research and emphasis on the value of geothermal resources ; the SISVAL project, the establishment of scientific bases for the consideration of seismic danger ; the GEOLOGICAL MAP of Sion on the 1:25'000 sheet ; the map of "MINERAL RESOURCES on the 1:200'000 Valais - Oberland bernois sheet" ; the WOLGA cantonal BD hydro-geological project and the MATTEROCK programme, development of an original methodology of sounding cliffs and of cartography of danger linked to rock face instability.

The NFP31 national programme of research "Climatic changes and natural catastrophes" which was terminated in 1997 and has left a whole series of unanswered questions. Seeing as these questions concern the entire Alpine arc, they will be investigated from the year 2000 in close collaboration with the bordering regions of Italy and France (INTERREG IIc and III projects).

During the coming decade (2001-10) priority will be given to applied research and to providing material for the prevention of natural dangers as well as the setting up of a plan of preservation and ecological emphasis on the value of natural resources. It will take shape mainly through the establishment of the DANAPREVENT concept, "cantonal concept of prevention (protection and supervision forecasting measures) of natural dangers" by relying notably on a detailed geological survey and the development of a system of information with spatial references (SIRS-DANA) in order to list the natural dangers which affect the canton's territory.