Kindly supported by Cinémathèque suisse.
Place: Davos and Linth Plain
Interviews: Stefan Margreth, Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, Davos
Ueli Strauss, Chief Planner Canton of St. Gall

Spatial planning prevents damage caused by natural catastrophes by indicating where it is safe to build and where, for safety reasons, building should not be allowed. Spatial planning protects human lives, buildings and infrastructure.

Flooding, mudflows, rock slides and avalanches were the catalyst that led to forests and woodlands in Switzerland being awarded legal protection in 1876. Today, the forests still make an important contribution in protecting settlements and infrastructure from destruction. Protective structures, such as avalanche defense barriers, flood control dams and rockslide nets, have received considerable investment for generations. However, even the best protective structures cannot guarantee absolute security.

Spatial planning protects against natural hazards in that it guides settlement development in such a way that new buildings and systems cannot be built in danger zones. The cantons use natural hazard maps to indicate where the threat from natural catastrophes is high. Restrictions in land usage are put in place for these areas to the point of construction bans. Spatial planning therefore ensures that building is only permitted in safe locations. As a result, the number of buildings at risk is reduced in the long term. Furthermore, spatial planning has made more space available for rivers and streams, thus leading to the formation of reservoirs, which act as storage basins for floodwater. Such measures are becoming more important, as we experience increased and more severe flooding due to climate change. Moreover, for decades now spatial planning has ensured that construction and land usage does not jeopardize water conservation or drinking water supplies.