Hydrology
Water shapes the character of landscapes and natural ecosystems. It is a significant basic need for the population and for numerous economic sectors in Switzerland. Hydrological data allow observation of the water balance.
© FOEN
Summary
The federal government studies Switzerland’s hydrological balance using various monitoring networks: MeteoSwiss measures the precipitation. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF measures the snow quantities. Several universities measure the glaciers. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) ascertains the water supply and water quality of the most important Swiss rivers and lakes with long-term measurements at fixed stations. All of these data serve to monitor the water. They are used for water body protection, water use and flood control.
The long-term hydrological data series are available as bases for further utilization. The federal government however also uses it for its own evaluations, maps, and publications (hydrological forecasts, Hydrological Yearbook of Switzerland, Hydrological Atlas of Switzerland HADES and others). Increasingly, they are also used electronically and are made available via internet portals. In addition, the water supply and water quality data of the Swiss water bodies also flows into the national and international environmental reporting. Because Switzerland is considered the “water tower” of Europe, the Swiss water balance also interests neighboring countries.
Who is who
The federal government studies Switzerland’s hydrological balance using various monitoring networks: MeteoSwiss measures the precipitation. The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF measures the snow quantities. Various universities measure the glaciers. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) ascertains the water supply and water quality of the most important Swiss rivers and lakes with long-term measurements at fixed stations.
The federal government lays down the legal framework for the protection of the water bodies. The cantons are responsible for the implementation. The Federal Office for the Environment is the responsible competence center for hydrological tasks.
- Water division, Federal Office for the Environment
- Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss
- Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF)
- Cantonal offices for environmental protection
The Swiss Hydrological Commission (CHy) of the Swiss National Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) is the professional association of representatives from science, practice and authorities that are active in the field of hydrology. The portal “Water” is a product of the CHy.
Data
The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) as well as geodata portals of the cantons and the federal government provide access to hydrological data. For the searching such data, geocat.ch provides an ideal entry point. Reports and clarifications on hydrological topics are available from the FOEN.
