The Swiss Association of Mountain Regions is urging the federal government to take steps in preparation for a possible severe drought this summer, after lower than usual rainfall this winter.
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Gli esperti avvertono della siccità di quest’estate
Despite forecasts of rain and possible snow this coming weekend, Thomas Egger, who heads the Swiss Association of Mountain Regions, is pessimistic about water supply this summer. “What is coming now is really a drop in the ocean,” he told Swiss public television, SRF. Switzerland has seen very little rainfall this winter. By late February, canton Ticino, bordering Italy, had only half the average levels of winter rainfall.
This could exacerbate water supply issues this summer after last summer’s record-breaking temperatures. July 2022 was one of the hottest since measurements began in 1864, and low rainfall led to record low levels for many lakes in eastern and central Switzerland. Egger said Switzerland needs to prepare for an even drier summer in 2023.
Several cantons including Ticino, Valais, Lucerne and St. Gallen have already put in place strategies to deal with water shortages. But a nationwide overview of water supply and demand is needed, said Egger. He suggests early warning systems and planning akin to what is being done to prevent power outages amid an energy crunch triggered by the war in Ukraine.
The government is expected to introduce a federal water planning system and concept for recording water use data by 2025.
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