The acid test for Swiss flood protection
The persistent and heavy precipitation in July led to flooding in large parts of Switzerland. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) recorded new record values for Lakes Neuchâtel and Biel at its hydrological measuring stations.
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The persistent and heavy precipitation in July also led to flooding in large parts of Switzerland. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) recorded new record values for Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Biel at its hydrological measuring stations. However, the flood protection measures taken by the federal government, cantons and municipalities have proven effective, the federal office wrote in a statement. There were no casualties and despite flooding, flood damage was limited according to initial estimates. At numerous Meteo Schweiz measuring stations, July was one of the five months with the most precipitation since measurements began. The events showed how important flood protection measures are, writes the Federal Office.
Especially against the background of climate change, but also with regard to the use of settlement areas, protection against floods and other natural hazards must be continuously adapted to new framework conditions - and is therefore an ongoing task for the optimization of organizational, planning and constructional flood protection measures.
Left:
- FOEN Webdossier: Floods July 2021: Intense precipitation led to widespread flooding
- FOEN: Lake regulation
- Canton Bern: Water regulation - Jura lakes
- MeteoSwiss: Flood month July
- NCCS: Hydro-CH2018 - Increasing hazard potential
Source: Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
