Switzerland: Sécurité contre les dangers naturels: Concept et stratégie 2002

Following the motion tabled by former State Councilor Hans Danioth on September 29, 1999, Federal Councilor Moritz Leuenberger, head of DETEC, mandated PLANAT to implement a strategy for improving safety against natural It counts on the global solidarity of the population with all regions of the country in the event of a significant disaster.

This “Safety against natural hazards” strategy is based on a few fundamental principles: it places natural hazards in a global context with other risks (technical, ecological, economic and social) and deals with them according to technical aspects, environmental, economic and social, in the sense of sustainable development. It counts on the global solidarity of the population with all regions of the country in the event of a natural disaster or significant disaster.

The strategy involves the development of a fully coherent risk management culture. The way to do this is to set protection objectives for this purpose, that is, to limit values ​​for security efforts in terms of protecting property and people. We must equally consider the protective measures and possible actions in the sphere of risk, i.e. prevention, intervention and restoration. In addition, they must be equivalently coordinated for all natural hazards over time.

Above all, an overview and evaluation of the means used in Switzerland for safety against natural dangers by the Confederation, the cantons, the municipalities, the insurance companies, the economy and the private sector is an essential basic condition for achieving the measures planned in the strategy. Besides this, comprehensive information is necessary to anchor the company's desired risk management culture and effectively implement the planned measures.

The strategy supports efforts to include an article on safety from natural hazards in the Federal Constitution. It advises that, as a priority, responsibilities should be concentrated in treating natural dangers at all levels of the Confederation, cantons, and municipalities. Above all, the Federal Council must define an institution to take the lead in its implementation.

The strategy provides for the following measures:

• Consistent protection objectives are set for property and people.
• Prevention, intervention, and restoration are considered equivalent in treating natural hazards. To this end, the necessary legal, organizational, financial and personal basic conditions must be created.
• The legal treatment of residual risks is clarified.
• Nature is included in protection planning, and space is given to it wherever possible.
• The necessary foundations are developed, the research work necessary to improve the treatment of natural hazards is undertaken, and practice-oriented education and continuing training are strengthened.
• International collaboration in the natural hazards sector is strengthened.
• Studies on the potential risk, the effect and effectiveness of the measures, and the resources invested are carried out periodically. This strategy should be considered as a first step. It must constitute the basis for implementing a long-term strategy within five years.