Cf: drought, there is no urgency for now for additional measures (cross-border guide)

Water situation in Switzerland

The Federal Council has not yet decided to take new measures to address the drought

Context

In a nutshell

  • There is no urgency to take new measures to address drought.
  • The Federal Council is following the situation and may decide to intervene in the future.
  • Water supply is currently assured, but there are problems in some regions.

The Swiss Federal Council has decided not to take urgent measures to address the drought, at least for now. The current situation does not require additional action, but the Federal Council will monitor the situation and may decide to intervene in the future.

Water supply is currently assured, but there are problems in some regions. For example, the Lausanne region recorded higher than normal water consumption, while the Geneva region saw a 20% increase in water consumption compared to the same period of the previous year.

The Swiss Confederation has already launched several measures to address the drought. For example, the 2004 Law on Water Resources (LRH) states that the competent authorities must ensure a sufficient water supply for the populations and for agriculture. The law also provides for the creation of an emergency plan for the management of water resources in the event of drought.

In addition, the Federal Council has established a water resources management fund, with a budget of 10 million Swiss francs for 2023. The fund will be used to finance water management projects and

Operational details

The Federal Council has decided not to take new measures to address the drought, at least for now. The water situation is currently stable, but there are problems in some regions of the country. The water supply is assured, but it may be necessary to intervene in the future.

The Federal Council's decision is based on a report from the Federal Office for the Environment (Ufam) indicating that the water situation is currently stable. However, Ufam points out that the drought could have negative consequences for agriculture and industry, especially if the situation does not improve in the coming months.

According to Ufam, drought is most severe in mountain regions, where water scarcity can have serious consequences for agriculture and forestry. For example, in the canton of Graubünden, the drought has already had negative consequences for fruit and vegetable harvesting, with a loss of about 10 million francs.

In addition, Ufam reported that drought could have negative consequences for water quality. For example, in Lake Geneva, drought has already decreased the amount of water, with negative consequences for water quality and fisheries.

The Federal Council decided not to take new measures to address the drought, but promised to monitor the situation and intervene if the situation did not improve. In addition, the Federal Council has decided to increase by

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Key points

The water situation in Switzerland is currently being monitored, but there are still no indications of urgency to take additional measures. However, if the situation worsens, the Federal Council may decide to take new measures to ensure the security of water supply.

In this case, it will be important to follow the instructions of the government and emergency services. The security of water supply is essential for the health and safety of the population. Switzerland is a country with a high level of water security, but the situation can vary from region to region.

For example, the Canton of Ticino is one of the cantons most exposed to drought, with an average annual rainfall of only 1,200 mm. In contrast, the Canton of Graubünden receives an average annual rainfall of 1,500 mm. This difference is due to the geographical location and topography of the two cantons.

According to Switzerland, the proportion of rainfall needed to ensure water security is at least 800 mm per year. However, the current situation in some cantons does not yet reach this level. For example, in 2022, the Canton of Ticino recorded an average rainfall of only 750 mm.

To ensure the security of water supply, the Swiss government has taken several measures. For example, the Federal Water Act of 28 September 1998 states that cantons must ensure the safety

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Source: laregione.ch

Frequently Asked Questions
What happened with the drought?
The Federal Council has not yet decided to take new measures to address the drought.
Why is there no urgency to take new measures?
The water situation is currently stable and the water supply is assured.
What will happen if the water situation worsens?
The Federal Council may decide to take new measures to address the drought.

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