Crans-Montana: Water Resources Management in an Alpine Tourist Resort

Water is a key element of services supplied by Crans-Montana. It is part of the landscape and is the physical base for sport activities in its various forms (water, snow, ice). Because of the high concentration of tourist activities at this Swiss alpine resort during certain seasons—and the multiple uses of water in tourism—problems of supply sometimes emerge. When this is the case, the uses of this resource for tourism enter into competition with other types of water uses (drinking water for the resident population, irrigation, and hydroelectric production). Recent studies show that current water problems in the Crans-Montana resort are not due to water scarcity per se, but are the result of dysfunctional management. Decision makers are increasingly conscious of the need to better manage this resource. The challenge is to find how to connect “traditional” knowledge with “modern” techniques about water use and management.