A film by Yves Magat, co-produced by IDIP Films and the Association du Musée valaisan des Bisses.

By the end of the century most Alpine glaciers will have disappeared. What will become of the Valais bisses, this traditional irrigation network based on the transport of meltwater from glaciers? The debate among water users has already begun.

UNESCO inscribed traditional irrigation in 2023 as an intangible heritage of humanity and designated 2025 as the international year of glacier preservation.

The Valais bisses, or Suonen in German, are much more than simple irrigation canals; they are an integral part of Swiss heritage. The Grand Bisse d’Ayent, for example, even appears on the hundred franc note. These canals, with their history and their vital function for agriculture, represent an ideal thread to address the crucial question of water management over the coming decades. The question of water is crucial in the canton of Valais, already severely affected by climate change. Between torrential rains, floods, late frosts, hail episodes, and periods of drought, the challenges are multiple and complex. The film highlights these issues, reminding us that water management is not only an environmental issue but also an economic and social one.

Concessions for large dams will have to be renegotiated for the first time in decades. Farmers, hydroelectric companies, tourism players, and defenders of biodiversity are already preparing for intense negotiations, aware of the potential repercussions on the entire territory. Faced with potential conflicts, the operation of the bisses, based on collective management – consortages – could they be a citizen solution for ecosystem sustainability?