Results
Article: The contested residual water –
Amid three crises
Climate change is advancing, biodiversity loss is intensifying and the energy supply is under pressure. These three global challenges, often referred to as crises, affect water bodies and the remaining wetlands as well as the entire water industry, especially hydropower. At the intersection of the three crises is the politically contested issue of residual water.
- In Switzerland, a total of around 2,300 kilometers of river are considered residual flow routes.
- Residual water means a reduction in production for hydropower, but for aquatic ecology it is an existential minimum.
- In the past, it has repeatedly been shown that the influence of residual flow regulations on hydropower production is overestimated.
- Hydropower plants on small water bodies are more affected by residual flow regulations, but contribute less to hydropower production.
- Public basic data on residual flow is important for sustainable decision-making processes in water management.
Article in German
Factsheet: Why Biodiversity matters and its role in climate regulation
Biodiversity is not merely a vast collection of flora and fauna; it is the very foundation of our existence. But what exactly is biodiversity and why is it so important for us humans? What impact does climate change have on biodiversity and, even more exciting, what role can healthy biodiversity play in a changing climate? These and more questions are addressed in this new scientific factsheet on biodiversity.
White paper: Concurrent challenges for Switzerland – interfaces in climate action, biodiversity conservation, energy security and landscape preservation
In the coming years, the Swiss population will have to make various important decisions in order to meet the complex challenge of mitigating climate change: How can we simultaneously protect biodiversity, preserve the landscape and secure the energy supply? In this short white paper, we discuss some of the implicit and necessary trade-offs that Switzerland must address, and how this urgent energy transition to tackle climate change can be addressed to limit the impact on biodiversity and the landscape.
White paper in English
White paper in German
White paper in French
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