A third of Switzerland’s landscapes are undeveloped
An example of near-natural open space with infrastructure marked in red.
WSL
Swiss researchers have been able to identify around 2,400 areas – most of them in the mountains – that can be characterised as ‘near-natural’. However, very few undeveloped areas exist at lower altitudes.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/ac
Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) used geographical information systems to map near-natural areas. These are characterised as having less than 20% of surface area occupied by disruptive infrastructure like roads, power plants or cableways. Around half of these zones are protected and the highest proportion were identified in the cantons of Graubünden, Uri, Glarus and Valais.
The majority of near-natural areas were found on steep and barren rocky and icy surfaces at elevations above 2,000 metres. On the other hand, they accounted for only 0.2% of the land surface below 500m altitude.
Map showing the distribution of near-natural areas (in green) in Switzerland.
WSL
Researchers warn that undeveloped zones that are not protected (around 50%) are at risk of being further built up with recreational, hydropower or other facilities. They suggest raising awareness about the importance of such near natural areas for recreational and leisure activities, nature-based tourism and sustainable agriculture.
More
More
Swiss dismiss freeze on construction zones
This content was published on
Voters have rejected a proposal aimed at curbing urban sprawl in Switzerland. The Green Party initiative failed to attract broad support.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
Swiss companies are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals. In the past quarter, every single company in this country was the target of a cyber attack an average of 1097 times a week.
Swiss households faced 21 minutes of power outages in 2024
This content was published on
End customers experienced an average of 21 minutes of electricity interruption in 2024. This resulted in 0.34 power outages per capita. The duration of electricity interruptions increased by three minutes compared to the previous year.
Swiss citizens will be voting on restricting wind farm expansion
This content was published on
On Friday, the Association for the Protection of Nature and Democracy submitted two initiatives aimed at curbing the expansion of wind farms. More than 110,000 signatures have been collected.
E-bike riders regularly break speed limit in residential areas
This content was published on
Fast e-bikes regularly exceed the speed limit in residential areas. According to a new study with data on cyclists in Zurich, they regularly reach speeds of over 30 km/h.
This content was published on
Swiss small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to find staff, a problem made more acute by the increased bargaining power of employees and increased absenteeism.
Switzerland very close to tariff deal with the US, says Roche CEO
This content was published on
An understanding between Berne and Washington in the dispute over customs barriers is close: Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker is convinced of this.
This content was published on
Late on Thursday in Geneva, pro-Palestinian demonstrators attacked the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations in the international organisations district. They poured red paint over the entrance to the building.
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
Farming land shrinks as built-up areas expand
This content was published on
The office looked at the data covering the period between 1985 and 2009, which show that urban development and infrastructure now account for 7.5% of all land use. The increase is equivalent to slightly more than the surface of Lake Geneva, or 584 square kilometres. One third of the new urban zones was taken from…
This content was published on
On March 3, the Swiss will vote on whether to limit building land. Changes to the law would force cantons and communes to reduce building plots, which were previously measured too generously and to compensate their owners. The revised planning law is contested by business, home and real estate associations and the rightwing Swiss People’s…
This content was published on
Fiona Pià has a radical idea for helping Swiss ski resorts limit sprawl, while accommodating more visitors and protecting the natural landscape.
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.