ATS
The serious floods that occurred 20 years ago have changed the way of managing natural dangers. With 590 million francs in damage, the canton of Lucerne was one of the most affected by the bad weather that hit Switzerland in August 2005.
Building dikes and walls is no longer enough, Viktor Schmidiger, head of the natural dangers department of the canton of Lucerne said on Monday. Spatial planning measures and natural measures have gained importance to minimize risks but collaboration with the protection of the population is also necessary.
The areas along the Reuss and the little one was very affected. Since then, 100 million francs have been invested in flood protection along the little Emme. The project on the Reuss is blocked by oppositions.
The bad weather of August 21 and 22, 2005 had made seven victims and for 3 billion francs in damage. Zones in the city of Lucerne, Bern, Sarnen and Engelberg (OW) had found themselves underwater.
