Brief Review

Natural Disasters

Floods, violent storms, landslides and avalanches are common in Switzerland. If major earthquakes are rare, history has proved that they can still occur and they represent a significant risk. Switzerland is also prone to drought and both cold and heat waves.

The Federal Office for the Environment’s (FOEN) Hazard Prevention Division is responsible for “minimising the risks for people, the environment and property resulting from natural hazards such as avalanches, flooding, debris flows, erosion, landslides, rockslides, debris avalanches, earthquakes and major accidents.” They advise the cantons on introducing sustainable protective measures against natural hazards and coordinate earthquake mitigation measures while promoting a concerted contingency policy.

In the case of extreme weather or serious earthquakes, the National Alarm Centre sends the alerts of the Swiss Meteorological Office or the Swiss Seismological Service to the affected cantons, the army, the Federal Police Office and other parties. The population is alerted by the 7,750 sirens spread across the country, which are usually operated by the cantonal police. The people are then expected to tune in to the radio stations of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation for further information and instructions.

Floods are one of the most common natural disasters in Switzerland, and the floods of 2007 led to the development of new anti-flood measures. The government has budgeted some SFr 147 million ($144 million) a year for the next four years for flood-control measures. Heavy flooding in 2005 cost the country an estimated SFr 2.5 billion. There are several projects underway to eliminate weaknesses found in river and canal dykes. Hydrological forecasting, another area being improved, enables cantonal and communal authorities to make quick decisions whenever there is a risk of high floodwater. The authorities are also in the process of creating national hazard maps, though they are not due until 2011.