Swiss Stories

Avalanche

Avalanche risk management included in world heritage

Environment
Knowledge of avalanches and avalanche protection is a vital tradition in Switzerland. Since November 2018, avalanche risk management has been added to the UNESCO list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The inclusion was based on a joint application submitted by Switzerland and Austria. But what exactly does avalanche risk management mean?
Bee in comb – copyright Barbara Hess

Safeguarding bees for a sustainable agriculture

Environment
Biodiversity is essential to preserving biospheres and preventing climate change. Bees and other pollinators play a key role in preserving this biodiversity and keeping our natural ecosystem intact. Read about this Swiss start-up providing eco-positive solutions to help bees flourish.
The Swiss consortium for water and sanitation strives to provide dignified sanitation infrastructures adapted to the mobility of everyone in Mali © Terre des hommes

Water access: a fundamental human right

Environment
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a reminder that better access to water and hygiene for everyone is essential – especially for improving global public health. Nearly 2.5 billion people around the world have no access to sanitary facilities. The 9th World Water Forum in Dakar aims to draw attention to such inequalities. Switzerland, which has worked for six decades to support equal and sustainable access to water and hygiene, will send a delegation to the forum.
Raphaël Domjan

Raphaël Domjan - Between the ocean and space

Environment
Fascinated by adventure and exploration since his childhood, Raphaël Domjan is today an eco-explorer active in protecting the planet, its biodiversity and atmosphere. Through visionary projects and audacious challenges, this Swiss national wants to show that renewable sources of energy are reliable, efficient and economically viable.
Agroscope's rice cultivation trial in Schwadernau in the northern part of the canton of Bern © Kathrin Hartmann

Innovative Swiss agriculture

Environment
Will rice, soya beans and sweet potatoes – which originated in Asia and the Americas – become normal Swiss crops in the future? Valued for their adaptability to climate change and nutritional qualities and also as a potential source of diversification, these crops have in fact begun to be grown in parts of Switzerland and could be much more widely cultivated in the future.
Swiss made plastic house

Upcycling: Swiss made plastic house

Environment
Switzerland is often cited as a model for recycling because of the rubbish collection, waste separation and waste recovery methods deployed. Public bodies, research institutes, companies and citizens are taking action to reduce their impact on the environment and society. Businesses are innovating and developing technologies for resource management, rubbish collection and recycling more effectively with a view to creating a more circular economy.
© Swiss Travel System AG / Tobias Ryser

Swiss Public Transport - Sustainable by Design

Environment
Swiss public transport is the preferred way for residents and tourists to travel around Switzerland. Not only because of its unparalleled comfort and convenience but also because the Swiss Travel System is one of the most climate-friendly ways to tour the country. And with growing customer demand for more environmentally friendly forms of mobility, train travel and public transport are witnessing a renaissance across Europe and beyond – a positive development backed up by a study suggesting that travellers are willing to pay a premium in exchange for more sustainable travel options (Booking: 2022).