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Swiss slow at mapping natural hazards

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Swiss slow at mapping natural hazards

Switzerland may be particularly prone to natural disasters like avalanches and landslides, but some cantons have been slow to assess the risks in their territories, reports say.

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According to a report on the Corriere del Ticino newspaper, some cantons such as Geneva and Vaud, will not be able to complete a census of their local risk sites by the end of this year, as required by the Swiss government.

The paper said the cantons were granted some extra time until 2013 to map out those areas that are at risk to be hit by floods, avalanches and landslides. Other cantons that have not collected enough information on potential disasters include Basel-Stadt, Thurgau and Aargau, it said.

The mapping work has been going on for ten years and it now covers about 70 percent of risky areas, the paper said. The project aims at collecting information on the frequency and intensity of natural hazards to avoid building in risky areas and plan protective measures.

 

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