Swiss landscape foundation urges nature-led protection from heat and floods

Switzerland should use landscapes to absorb and store water rather than rely mainly on costly technical measures to counter drought and flooding, Rahel Marti, co-head of the Swiss Landscape Protection Foundation, told SRF.

Marti said the summer of 2026, with dried-out pastures and autumn leaves appearing in August, had exposed the country’s vulnerability. She called for an approach that treats agriculture, settlements and flood protection as parts of one system, with landscapes acting like sponges to ease both drought and flooding.

The foundation wants the federal government to fund a landscape programme modelled on transport programmes for urban areas. It would support municipalities and regions that coordinate their plans. For example, a stream restoration could also improve flood protection, strengthen nature and create a recreational space for residents, Marti said.

Wetlands and hedges cannot replace concrete flood barriers, she said, but protective structures can be designed to serve other purposes too. In Bondo, a dam built after a disaster incorporates gardens and walking paths on the village side, according to Marti.

She said wind turbines were not necessarily harmful to landscapes if they were placed carefully. A 250-metre turbine would dominate a small-scale Jura landscape, she said, arguing that turbines should be grouped in places already affected by development and that intact areas should be protected.

Marti said the energy transition required wind, solar and hydropower, but that planning should avoid sensitive landscapes. She cited an ETH study that, she said, found enough suitable locations in Switzerland to meet energy-transition targets without affecting such areas. She also pointed to plans in Upper Valais combining a reservoir, a wind farm and a proposed solar installation.