Le Valais, pays de l’or bleu

Against a backdrop marked by the energy transition, supply constraints, climate change, and growing pressure on natural resources, hydropower plays a central role in the debate. Valais, the canton of Alpine dams and often described as a “land of blue gold,” is at the heart of these issues. Under the title “Valais, Canton of Alpine Dams, Land of Blue Gold! Myth and Reality of Hydropower in the Global Economy of the 21st Century,” this conference will seek to move beyond the familiar images associated with large dams to examine their current role: renewable energy production, security of supply, water management, adaptation to the effects of global warming, economic challenges, and regional responsibilities. Stéphane Maret will shed light on the challenges facing Valais’s hydroelectric sector in a changing world. Caught between local resources and the globalized energy market, between industrial heritage and ecological imperatives, the issue of “blue gold” invites us to rethink our relationship with water, energy, and the land.


Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.