Defence minister proposes pooling resources to cope with disasters
Switzerland’s defence minister Guy Parmelin has floated the idea of sharing resources with other countries to respond to emergencies like fires and droughts.
In an interview published in the NZZ am Sonntag paper on Sunday, Parmelin proposed the creation of a resource pool with other countries which could be commandeered during an emergency. He cited the example of Swiss helicopters helping fight fires in Portugal last year and suggested that such collaboration could be improved if a shared pool was established.
Parmelin acknowledged that it would require a mechanism for sharing the costs. He said that he will discuss the idea with cantonal military directors.
The army’s role has not changed despite the increased threat from climate change, he added. According to him, what has changed is an increase in requests for assistance due to drought, forest fires or landslides. The army had to step in recently to airlift water for cows on mountain pastures because of drought conditions.
Parmelin said the army could use more helicopters for emergency situations like the landslides in the town of Bondo in eastern Switzerland last year. According to him, almost all of the army’s Super Puma helicopters were in action in the aftermath of the disaster. He also proposed procuring a Canadair type of aircraft for fighting forest fires, as the army did not have one.
More
More
Army helicopters bring water for thirsty cows
This content was published on
As the dry weather continues, Swiss army helicopters have been bringing emergency water supplies to cattle farmers in high mountain pastures.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
No trace of Bondo landslide victims 12 months on
This content was published on
The latest attempt to recover the remains of eight people swept away by a landslide in southeastern Switzerland last year has been unsuccessful.
Not enough civilian protection personnel for emergencies
This content was published on
Swiss cantons are concerned about the declining numbers of civil protection members and have called on the federal government to address the problem.
Drought-affected Alpine pastures get emergency help
This content was published on
Switzerland is experiencing its lowest rainfall in nearly a century, the charity noted in a statement on Tuesday. Since the start of weather records in 1864, there have been only three periods between April and July with less rainfall. Alpine farms are particularly affected by the heatwave as the soil dries up under the scorching…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.