Albert Rösti said he did not want to sell the population a “zero risk” regarding bad weather.
Photo: KEYSTONE/PETER SCHNEIDER
Environment Minister Albert Rösti believes that the risk of further disasters in the event of severe weather in Switzerland cannot be avoided. “There is no life without risk,” especially in mountainous regions, he said on SRF on Tuesday.
We do not want to sell the population a ‘zero risk’, added the Bernese. He said he believed the experts who say that climate change has an influence on these bad weather conditions. And more people than before live in threatened areas.
The Confederation alone pays 160 million francs per year for protective measures, but the funds could be used in an even more targeted and risk-based manner, the minister said.
One of the lessons from the recent bad weather is that ‘we need to implement the new law on watercourse management very quickly,’ he added. This provides for even more targeted risk reductions, particularly in terms of land use planning.
The correction of the Rhone – currently at a standstill – is a project that will be completed over 20 years, with support from the Confederation of more than a billion francs, explained the UDC minister. The canton of Valais still intends to verify whether or not around 150 hectares of crop rotation areas should be lost. The canton will decide.
No compromise on safety
The head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (Detec) said that it was undeniable that no concessions in terms of security were possible in this conflict of interests. The Confederation would also ensure this.
The corrections made so far to the Rhone and the Rhine have prevented an even greater potential for damage than currently exists, given the recent floods and landslides in Switzerland, according to Albert Rösti.
/ATS
