Outlook

The effect of climate change on the stream flows described above will have water management consequences. The existing flood protection measures must be reviewed in the Swiss Plateau and Jura. An increased risk of water shortages in the summer may mean a potential for conflict among the different users. As stream flow regimes and some water temperatures will change significantly, the legal provisions in various areas (introduction of cooling water, waste water, lake control regulations, residual water) must be reviewed. The need for additional (multipurpose) reservoirs must be clarified. More frequent and serious low water events and higher winter flows could increasingly affect navigation on the Rhine. David Volken, Federal Office for the Environment; Bruno Schädler and Pascal Blanc, Institute of Geography, University of Berne