Snow avalanches are a natural hazard whose negative consequences have multiplied in recent times owing to demographic expansion and increased infrastructures in mountain areas. Therefore, the minimisation of the negative consequences of avalanches is essential. The steps to be taken are as follows: make a snow avalanche cartography, know the avalanche return period, obtain some knowledge of the triggering mechanism in relation to the snow properties and determine the values of the physical parameters of the avalanche evolution in order to minimise the impact. The complexity of this natural phenomenon calls for a multidisciplinary collaboration on a global scale in order to pool our efforts and lines of research. A number of strategies to improve the understanding of formation, evolution and effect of avalanches are presented
