Public investment in protection against natural hazards in accordance with WBG and WaG
The figures reflect the Confederation's financial commitment to the prevention of natural hazards which is a task shared by the Confederation and the cantons. The federal authorities support the development of hazard documentation (hazard maps), the construction of protective structures (torrent, avalanche and rockfall barriers), the maintenance of protective forests and preparation of intervention measures. This also includes tasks involving the improvement of the warning and alerting of natural hazards (OWARNA). The total payment authorisations reflect 40% of total expenditure by the federal government on investment in protection against natural hazards.
good
positive
In 2023, a total of CHF 656 million was spent on protection against natural hazards, the larger part of which was invested in protective structures built in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Act on Hydraulic Engineering.The goal is to meet the needs of the cantons and at the same time use the funds efficiently. Since both have been achieved, the status and trend can be assessed as positive.
The commitment credits are set after the reorganisation of the financial equalisation and division of tasks (NFA) between the Confederation and the cantons for each NFA period, and the payment credits are set in autumn for the following year.
International comparison is not possible because the legal frameworks are very different.
The figures are recorded by the FOEN through a survey of the cantonal budgetary data as part of the ongoing financial and project planning in the cantons and then corroborated. Based on this, the federal government calculates the payment authorisation for flood protection.
The federal government contributes about 40% of the total cost of projects.
| Targeted trend | Initial value | Final value | Variation in % | Observed trend | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decrease | Average 2012-2014 | Average 2021-2023 | 2.36% | Stabilisation | unsatisfactory* |
*As the goal of meeting the needs of the cantons has been achieved and thus the general safety has been further improved, the trend is assessed as positive.
Further information
