Wanted preventive, protective measures to control rock falling

Avalanch is a mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside or a sudden arrival or occurrence of something in overwhelming quantities.

By their very nature, avalanches represent a major danger only in mountainous areas of the earth where geographic and meteorological conditions give rise to heavy rains and to accumulations of snow and ice prone to hurtling down in the valleys inhabited by man. A distinction can be made between two types of avalanches:

First, large-scale avalanches caused by very heavy rains, which threaten localities, buildings and communication links in all or parts of a valley. These occur spontaneously on the uphill mountain slopes and according to the meteorological conditions.

Second, avalanches restricted to smaller local areas, which are mostly triggered by man in the course of his professional or sporting activities.

The damaging effects of avalanches may be widespread or limited, depending on the factors which provoked them. But just as in the case of landslides, a very localised incident can have consequences beyond its immediate surroundings; notably when communication links such as roads, railways and cable cars are interrupted or infrastructure is destroyed (important buildings, electric grids, telecommunication networks, water or gas conduits, or reservoirs of toxic or pollutant substances).

Because of the very varied characteristics of avalanches and their often serious damaging effects, it would appear advisable for countries regularly under threat from this phenomenon to establish institutions responsible for studying snow and avalanches, so as to be able to ensure the existence of an alarm system covering their entire territory and to advise local authorities and the organs responsible for security in this field.
Just like avalanches, blizzards occur mainly in the cold regions of the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet.

They are characterized by snowstorms and violent freezing winds which bring all life to a standstill over vast territories, particularly on the plains of North and South America, Asia and Northern Europe. This phenomenon can occur to a lesser extent on high mountains, mainly in winter, although snowstorms may be equally frequent during relatively long summer periods.

Under the influence of masses of Arctic or Antarctic winds, which cause a sharp fall in the normal temperatures, cold spells can strike even temperate regions.

This phenomenon threatens human life and considerably damages infrastructures and the environment, mainly by paralyzing installations and disrupting services such as electricity supplies, which are vitally important to modern living conditions. It can also lead to a long-term stoppage of domestic and public technical equipment, of communication links and of all the equipment and installations of entire regions.

Areas at risk from avalanches can generally be identified by observation of the mountain slopes and by the study of the local records of past disasters.

Preventive measures will consist in identifying these likely zones and in the ad hoc layout, planning and implanting of buildings to prevent the triggering of serious avalanches.

Anchoring and retaining devices will be positioned not only on the mountain slopes but also integrated in the infrastructure (walls, retaining or diverting channels, tunnels, galleries, etc.) built to protect threatened property. Planting trees is also an effective preventive measure.