Original Article

Landslides (2005) 2: 313–320 Olivier Lateltin · Christoph Haemmig · Hugo Raetzo · Christophe Bonnard
DOI: 10.1007/s10346-005-0018-8
Received: 8 April 2005
Accepted: 29 July 2005
Published online: 15 November 2005
Landslide risk management in Switzerland
© Springer-Verlag 2005

Abstract Six percent of Switzerland is prone to slope instability. New assessment, definition of protection requirements, planning of
federal regulations require regional authorities (cantons) to generate measures and emergency planning (Fig. 2).
natural hazard maps and the zoning of mass movements in order to
restrict development on hazard-prone land. The Codes of Practice for Landslide hazard assessment
hazard maps use red, blue and yellow respectively, to indicate areas The new Federal Ordinances on Flood and Forest Protection (OACE
of prohibited construction, construction with safety requirements 1994; Ofo 1992), require the cantons to establish hazard maps which
and construction without restriction. They need considerable efforts have to be incorporated in regional master plans and local develop-
to ensure communication with local populations. The present state ment plans. The cantons are responsible initiating hazard mapping.
of landslide hazard mapping in the 26 cantons, the transcription of The federal authorities subsidize this activity up to 70% of its cost.
hazard maps to local management plans and the corresponding rules The techniques for developing landslide hazard maps are outlined in
are presented. the federal recommendation “Code of practices for landslide hazard
and land use planning” (OFAT, OFEE and OFEFP, 1997), issued in
Keywords Landslides . Risk management . Hazard maps . Land use 1997.
planning . Switzerland
Register of events
Introduction An indispensable prerequisite for hazard identification is information
Located in the Alps, Switzerland is a small, hazard-prone country about past events. Recommendations for the definition of a uniform
(covering 41,300 km2 with 7.4 million inhabitants) exposed to debris register of landslides have been developed, including special sheets for
flows, earthquakes, floods, forest fires, hail storms, slides, rock falls, each phenomenon (slides, rock falls, debris flows) and each canton
snow and ice avalanches and wind storms. Landslides can be caused is currently compiling the data for its own register. These databases,
by ground conditions inherited from geological or glacial history, called “StorMe”, are transferred to the Swiss Agency for the Environ-
influenced by preparatory causal factors linked to climate or human ment, Forests and Landscape to allow an overview of the different
activities and by triggering causal factors related to weather, public natural disasters and potential associated damage in Switzerland.
works or earthquakes. The geological structure of Switzerland is es-
sentially the result of a collision of the African and European plates Classification of landslides
over millions of years. Fifty-seven percent of its surface lies in the Slides can be classified according to the estimated depth of the slip
Alps, 30% in the Molasse Basin (Swiss Plateau) and 13% in the Jura. surface (<2 m: shallow; 2–10 m: intermediate; >10 m: deep) and
Rainfall is abundant (500 mm in Central Valais, 2,500 mm on Säntis the long-term mean velocity of the movements (<2 cm/year: sub-
at 2,503 m asl) and evenly distributed throughout the year. Towards stabilized; 2–10 cm/year: slow; >10 cm/year: active). These depth and
the interior of the Alps, the timberline rises from 1,700–2,400 m and velocity parameters are not always sufficient to estimate the poten-
the permanent snowline from 2,500–3,200 m asl. tial danger of a slide. Differential movements must also be taken
The shaping of the present landscape has taken place over the past into account as they can initiate the toppling of buildings or open-
two million years. In the Swiss Alps, numerous slopes are affected by ing of cracks. Rock falls are characterized by their speed (<40 m/s),
small movements related mostly to ancient landslide mechanisms of the size of their elements (stone diameter <0.5 m, block diameter
post-glacial age and to the progressive failure of rock slopes induced >0.5 m) and the volumes involved. Rock avalanches with huge vol-
by weathering and water pressure in fault systems. We estimate that umes (>1 million m3 ) and rapid velocity (>40 m/s) can also occur,
more than 6% of the Swiss territory (2,500 km2 ) has been affected by although these are rare. Due to heavy precipitation, debris flows and
landslides. During the last 30 years, landslides have caused an average very shallow slides are frequent in Switzerland. Most of these are
annual direct financial damage of about US $20 million (Fig. 1) and moderate in volume (<20,000 m3 ) and of rapid velocity (1–10 m/s).
a death toll of 1 person per year (Schmid et al. 2004). These phenomena are dangerous and annually cause fatalities and
The new federal laws on forest and flood protection (LACE 1991; traffic disruptions.
LFo 1991), which were established after the flooding events of 1987,
are based on an integrated approach to protect people and assets Maps of landslide phenomena
from natural hazards (PLANAT 2005). The purpose of these new A map of landslide phenomena and an associated technical report
laws is the protection of the environment, in particular human life record evidence and indications of slope instability as observed in
and high value property, from natural hazards with a minimum the field. The map presents phenomena related to dangerous pro-
of structural countermeasures. Therefore, of particular importance cesses and delineates vulnerable areas. Field interpretations of these
are non-structural preventive measures. The four main elements phenomena allow landslide-prone areas to be mapped, based on
of the natural risk management strategy in Switzerland are hazard the observation and interpretation of landforms, on the structural

Landslides 2 . 2005 313

 Original Article
Fig. 1 Distribution of landslides that
caused financial damage between
1972–2002 in Switzerland, modified from
Schmid et al. 2004

and geotechnical properties of slope instabilities and on historical built. The 30 kJ limit corresponds to the maximum energy that oak-
traces of previous slope failures. Some recommendations for the wood stiff barriers (railway sleepers) can resist. For rock avalanches,
uniform classification, representation and documentation of natu- the high-intensity class (E>300 kJ) is indeed always reached in the
ral processes have been established by the federal administration impact zone. The target zones affected by block avalanches of low to
(OFEE and OFEFP 1995). The different phenomena are represented medium intensity can only be roughly delineated.
by different colors and symbols. An additional distinction is made Most slides are characterized by continuous movements, some-
between potential, inferred or proved events. According to the scale times with associated phases of reactivation. A low-intensity move-
of mapping (e.g. 1:50,000 for the Master Plan, 1:5,000 for the Local ment has an annual mean velocity of less than 2 cm/year. A medium
Management Plan), this legend may contain a large number of sym- intensity corresponds to a velocity ranging from 1 to approximately
bols. This approach allows maps from different parts of the country 10 cm/year. The high-intensity class is usually assigned to shear zones
to be easily compared. or zones with clear differential movements. It may also be assigned
if reactivated phenomena have been observed or if horizontal dis-
Landslide hazard map placements greater than 1 m per event may occur. Finally, the high-
The hazard is defined as the probability of a potentially damaging intensity class can be assigned to very rapid, shallow slides (velocity
natural phenomenon within a specific period of time in a given >0.1 m/day). In the area affected by slides, field intensity criteria can
area (IDNDR 1993). Hazard assessment implies the estimation of the be directly converted to danger classes. For debris flows, the inten-
intensity of an event over time. Mass movements often correspond sity depends on the thickness of the potentially unstable layer. The
to gradual phenomena (slides) or unique events (falls, debris flows). boundaries defining the three intensity classes are set at e: 0.5 and 2 m.
It is indeed difficult to make an assessment of the return period of Unlike floods and snow avalanches, mass movements are usually
a large rock avalanche, or to predict when a dormant landslide may non-recurring processes. The return period, therefore, has only a rel-
reactivate. ative meaning, except for events involving rock and block avalanches
For simplification, three levels of intensity are considered, high, and debris flows which can be correlated with recurrent meteorologi-
medium and low (Table 1). Regarding probability, the same three lev- cal conditions. The probability of a mass movement should generally
els, high, medium and low, are used with the corresponding return be established for a given duration of land use. Thus the probability
periods 1–30, 30–100 and 100–300 years. The work to be done for a of potential damage during a certain period of time or the degree of
potential hazard is therefore to determine its intensity for the cho- safety of a specific area should be taken into account, rather than the
sen levels of probability at selected points in a specified area. This is actual frequency of an event.
achieved by various means, for instance by modelling the correspond- The occurrence probability of rock falls should be estimated by
ing processes (mathematically or by a physical model, calibrated by taking into account traces of former events that occurred during the
past events). Indicative values can be used to define classes of high, last 300 years. This allows zones of low, medium or high probability
medium and low intensity (see Table 1). of mass movement to be established. Rock avalanches are usually
For rock falls, the significant criterion is the impact energy in unique events, hence it is recommended not to subdivide them into
the exposed zone (the sum of translation and rotation energy). The high-, medium- or low-probability zones. Sectors with active move-
300 kJ limit corresponds to the impact energy that can be resisted ments, widening cracks or isolated rock avalanches originating in a
by a reinforced concrete wall, as long as the structure is properly

314 Landslides 2 . 2005

Fig. 2 Strategy for landslide risk
management in Switzerland

dangerous zone must be considered as “red zones” in the hazard maps. The next step is to classify the results according to the matrix
Most slides are continuous processes, therefore no strict probability diagram which combines intensity and probability (Fig. 3).
of occurrence exists for such mass movements. Periods of landslide Based on the results of the modeling processes and with respect to
activity are often related to precipitation events (Raetzo et al. 2002) Figure 3, it is then possible to determine the expected hazard level
and should be related to the probability of specific meteorological for any point on a map. The end-result is the hazard map, in which
conditions (for example, continuous precipitation associated with “red” means high, “blue”, moderate and “yellow”, low hazard level.
snow melting). For landslides, “yellow–white hatched” would imply very low hazard.
In principle, the probability scale does not exclude rare events, nor The word “danger” (inappropriately used in the Swiss recommenda-
does the intensity scale exclude high-magnitude events. Hazards with tions for hazards, due to the lack of an equivalent German term) or
a very low probability of occurrence are usually classified as “residual hazard thereby denotes the degree of exposure of persons, buildings
dangers” under the standard classification. In the domain of dangers and/or infrastructure to a potential hazard of a specified level. As
related to mass movements, the lower limit for a “residual danger” an example, Fig. 4 shows the difference between a landslide map of
has been set for an event with a 300-year return period.

Landslides 2 . 2005 315

 Original Article
Table 1 Criteria for intensity of different landslide hazards Coping with residual risk
Intensity Many disasters in the past demonstrate that a complete safety measure
Process Low Medium High cannot be achieved. A particular risk always remains called residual
Rock falls risk. An assessment of the impact of a landslide or rock avalanche,
Kinetic energy <30 kJ 30 · 300 kJ >300 kJ which exceeds the design event, provides information about the resid-
Slides ual risks. If such a disaster occurs, the non-permanent (emergency)
Mean annual velocity <2 cm/year 2 · 10 cm/year >0.1 m/day measures can provide additional safety for the population at risk and
Displacement – – >1 m/event can reduce the number of casualties considerably. Local authorities
Debris flow have then to be involved in the installation and operation of early
Debris front thickness – <1 m >1 m warning systems, in the preparation of evacuation schemes, and in
Debris flow velocity – <1 m/s >1 m/s the training of rescue units.
Depth of soil material 0.5 m 0.5 · 2 m >2 m
(potential debris flows) State of hazard mapping and perspectives
After the publication of the federal recommendation to establish
hazard maps for land use planning in 1997, an intensive program of
mapping started in Switzerland and regional authorities (cantons)
are actively participating to this effort. The present state of landslide
hazard mapping (Fig. 6) shows that 50% of the Swiss territory is
already analyzed by landslide hazard maps at the scales from 1:25,000
to 1:5,000 (Lateltin et al. 2004).
In Switzerland, less importance has been given to the develop-
ment of risk maps and only a few examples exist, according to the
federal guidelines (BUWAL 1999). The methodology is based on a
“three-stage procedure”. Stage 1 provides information on qualitative
classification of risk for object categories (protection deficit based
on hazard map). Stage 2 provides information on semi-quantitative
risks for object types (number of fatalities, property damage). Stage
3 provides information on quantitative risks for individual objects
Fig. 3 Diagram of hazard levels as a function of probability and intensity (number of fatalities, extent of damage in Swiss francs). A lot of
uncertainties still remain in the calculation of fragility curves (vul-
nerability of the individual objects) according to different landslide
phenomena (intensity map) and the corresponding landslide hazard
intensities and more research is needed.
map.
Hazard maps for a Master Plan for instance are normally drawn at
Hazard maps and local management plans
a scale of 1:25,000–50,000. For a more detailed Local Plan on the other
hand, on the basis of which clear restrictions may be formulated, a
Planning measures
scale of 1:10,000–1:5,000 is used.
The assessment of landslide hazards and risks is not a final goal in
land planning; the aims corresponding to the respective laws and or-
Meaning of landslide hazard map for land use planning dinances (LAT 1979; LFo 1991; OFo 1992) imply the planning and
The federal recommendations are proposing codes of practice for the implementation of selected measures, in order to insure protec-
transposition of hazard level in terms of potential damage for the tion against acceptable events of a given magnitude that depends
purpose of land use planning, as shown in Table 2. on the set protection objectives (Fig. 5). The first priority in se-
lecting measures implies appropriate land use planning, either at a
regional scale (master plan) or at a local scale (local management
Definition of protection requirements
plan).
The differential safety concept was introduced into the Natural Risk
The federal recommendations for the consideration of landslide
Management Strategy after 1987. The determination of different lev-
hazards in land planning (OFAT, OFEE and OFEFP 1997) propose to
els of safety, and thus of the corresponding design event is a de-
associate a given hazard level to a general type of action, namely:
cision of major technical and economic consequences. In former
days, the design for protection works was generally based on an – Red zone (high hazard): In principle, no construction or instal-
event with a return period of 100 years (E100 ). Today, a differen- lation used to shelter people and animals is allowed (prohibition
tiation of protection objectives is applied (Fig. 5) for floods, as zone). If they exist, buildings cannot be enlarged or reconstructed.
well as for snow avalanches, for landslides, for debris flows and The planned development zones should be declassified. Transfor-
for rock falls. According to the importance or value of structures mations in existing buildings are only allowed if the risk is de-
and assets to be protected, the respective degree of safety can be creased (through appropriate protection measures), but such mea-
chosen. Where property with a very high value has to be pro- sures should not be carried out in order to increase the use of the
tected, it is recommended to increase the degree of safety and to land. A systematic evacuation of the inhabitants of the buildings
use a design event which is higher than the centennial event. In located in red zones is not foreseen, but provisions must be taken to
contrast, for agricultural land, the degree of safety can be much insure their safety in case of emergency, through the development
lower. of evacuation plans.

316 Landslides 2 . 2005

Fig. 4 Samples of a landslide phenomena
map (top) and landslide hazard map
(bottom) (courtesy of B. Loup of the Canton
of Fribourg)

– Blue zone (moderate hazard): Buildings are allowed in these zones or of particular planning measures (e.g. minimum distance to an
only under certain conditions depending on the type of hazard existing channel in which debris flows may occur). Particularly
(prescription zone). These conditions may include the requirement sensitive objects like hospitals or homes for elderly people should
of additional studies (e.g. geological and/or geotechnical expert not be authorized in such zones, nor should major development
advice in order to obtain a building permit, monitoring data), of projects. The local authorities can define special additional rules
special construction techniques (e.g. raft foundation for buildings), (e.g. limited density of construction).
of appropriate protection measures (e.g. drainage of the ground)

Landslides 2 . 2005 317

 Original Article
Table 2 Transposition of hazard level for land use planning management plans that require an updating every ten years accord-
Red: high hazard ing to the land planning law. Indeed, hazard zones have restricted
• People are at risk of injury both inside and outside of buildings. A rapid legal value until they are introduced in the local management plans
destruction of buildings is possible and construction rules with specific requirements, so that they are
or approved by the local council or the population in small communes.
• Events occurring with a lower intensity, but with a higher probability of Through this public approval process that needs good communica-
occurrence. People are mainly at risk outside buildings, or buildings can no longer tion, the requirements related to landslide hazards are generally well
house people accepted by the population.
The red zone designates a prohibition domain Any change to the local management plan should also be submitted
Blue: moderate hazard to the endorsement of the cantonal authorities, so that homogene-
• People are at risk of injury outside of buildings. Risk is considerably lower ity in the management of landslide hazard zones is insured. For this
inside of buildings. Damage to buildings should be expected, but not a rapid purpose, many cantons have appointed a special natural hazards
destruction, as long as the construction type has been adapted to the present commission formed of representatives from political authorities, ad-
conditions ministrative officers, scientists and public insurers, that can analyse
The blue zone is mainly a prescription domain each critical situation requiring an urgent action and each change
Yellow: low hazard in local management plan when the hazard level is modified by new
• People are at low risk of injury. Slight damage to buildings is possible. natural or artificial conditions. This commission may also propose
Damage might occur inside the building but not at the structure a new policy with respect to endangered zones, as occurred in can-
The yellow zone designates an awareness domain ton Fribourg after the Chlöwena landslide crisis in 1994, when all
Yellow–white hatching: residual hazard the communes with building areas in red zones were designated and
Very low probability of a high-intensity event can be designated by yellow-white required to suspend building activities there (Vulliet and Bonnard
hatching. The yellow-white hatched zone is mainly an awareness domain, 1996; Loup 2003).
(residual danger) These prevention measures are globally accepted and applied in
White: no danger or Negligible danger, according to currently available the different cantons of Switzerland, but some modifications of the
information federal recommendations are presently being studied to increase the
systematic applicability of the hazard map criteria, in particular con-
sidering specifying zones with high potentials for reactivation pro-
– Yellow zone (low hazard): It is possible to build in these zones, but
cesses that might increase hazard levels. It appears, however, necessary
landowners should be informed of the existing hazard (awareness
that land use planning must be adapted to the political traditions of
zone). In these cases, adequate prevention measures at the scale
each canton so as to favor the acceptance of such measures.
of the plot of land or of the whole slope may reduce the potential
damage or the size of this low-hazard zone. It is required that special
Protection measures
protection measures are taken for the sensitive objects mentioned
In second priority, and only in specific cases where they can be cost-
above. Particular attention should be paid in this case to excavations
effective, like for debris flow channels crossing inhabited zones, the
required for buildings, as they can generate instability problems.
recommended prevention actions may include protection measures.
– Yellow–white hatched zone (very low hazard): This zone highlights
This need is mainly due to the intense development of tourist in-
the residual risks related, for instance, to rock fall potential events
frastructure in some exposed zones, causing an unacceptable risk
of a very low probability. Standard buildings are allowed without
level.
special requirement, but special protection measures must be taken
The difficulty in such cases resides in the selection of design cri-
for sensitive objects. Installations with an increased potential for
teria and a detailed risk analysis implying several potential landslide
indirect damage (e.g. major oil tanks) are to be avoided.
scenarios of different probabilities of occurrence must be carried
These zones, that are first determined in the hazard maps according out. The trend to consider recent events, like the major debris flows
to scientific criteria, have to be adapted according to the existing local recorded in 1987, 1993, 1999 and 2000, as standard cases for the design
of protection structures must be avoided, as they sometimes corre-
spond to extremely rare phenomena from which complete protection
would be an excessive goal, or, as past events have seriously modified
the predisposition factors for a new disaster, the risk of a future new
severe event is reduced.
A significant case illustrating the implementation of a new pre-
vention strategy is the tourist resort of Sörenberg in the Swiss Alps,
Central Switzerland (Loat and Zimmermann 2004). The village de-
veloped during the last 40 years to about 800 housing units on an old
debris flow deposit zone. These debris flows originate from a large
deep-seated slide above the village (Fig. 7).
In May, 1999, after a winter season during which large quantities
of snow were recorded, the slide was reactivated and debris flow of
30,000 m3 occurred, followed by several secondary events. These flows
expanded fortunately in an open space between the two main parts of
the village, where some public development was planned in the near
Fig. 5 Differential safety goals against landslides according to different objects
future. Damage in the building zones was limited, but the communal

318 Landslides 2 . 2005

Fig. 6 Present state of landslides hazard
mapping in Switzerland

Fig. 7 Sörenberg view from the opposite

side after the event of 1999

authorities decided to establish a comprehensive hazard map and – Land-use planning measures: they include the prohibition of new
propose long-term solutions for the protection of the village. constructions and normal building maintenance works only in the
The hazard map corresponding to the existing situation pointed red zone; no new planned residential areas in the blue zone, but
out a large red zone including numerous houses and no possible possible new buildings in existing housing lots, if local protection
extensions or relocations of the village, which was not acceptable. works are carried out, whereas limited modifications to existing
Thus the following protection goals were defined in order to design buildings are allowed, provided that safety measures are taken (e.g.
limited protection works: no dormitories in the basement); in the yellow zone, local protec-
tion is recommended for new buildings.
– No casualties for any event are accepted
– Structural measures: several protection works such as dams, reten-
– No damage is accepted for a 30-year return period event
tion basins and discharge channels, are proposed to reduce the risks
– Limited damage is accepted for a 100-year return period event
and modify the hazard level in the exposed zones. These structures
– A limited protection for assets is insured for a 300-year return
are designed for a 100-year return period event, but substantial
period event
damage might be expected in the case of a worse disaster, neverthe-
Thus, after intense discussions with the population and the can- less some inhabited areas will stay in red zones after the completion
tonal authorities, three types of measures were taken: of structural measures, which requires emergency measures.

Landslides 2 . 2005 319

 Original Article
– Emergency planning: includes long-term monitoring, but also visual cantonal authorities are participating actively in this hazard mapping
observations and wire sensors in case of major rainfall events, and to prevent and reduce the potential losses and the number of victims,
planning of evacuation routes. in particular by better land use planning. Mapping works are still in
progress and 50% of the Swiss territory is currently covered by hazard
The major difficulty now lies in taking the respective decisions
maps for landslides at different scales. In specific cases, the applica-
concerning the sharing of the construction costs for the protection
tion of a strict management policy, carried out with the approval of
works, between the canton, the commune and the private owners.
the citizens, allows a significant decrease of landslide risks.
This means that the question of how much the respective partners
are ready to pay in order to insure safety and development at the
References
same time is not yet solved, mainly because a correct perception of
the risks induced by landslides is not yet achieved. While the con- Bonnard C, Dewarrat X, Noverraz F (2004) The Sedrun Landslide. Identification and mitigation of
sciences of the citizens and of the authorities are open to discussions large landslide risks in Europe. Advances in Risk Assessment. IMIRILAND Project. Balkema, Leiden,
of risks after a major event or a disaster, the situation is not at all pp 227–252
BUWAL (1999) Risikoanalyse bei gravitativen Naturgefahren–Methode, Fallbeispiele und Daten
the same for potential major landslides that have not affected the (Risk analyzes for gravitational natural hazards). Bundesamt für Umwelt, Wald und Landschaft
population yet, so that the citizens and the local authorities prefer to (BUWAL). Umwelt-Materialen Nr. 107, pp 1–244
deny the existence of risks or pretend the risk level is not increasing IDNDR (1993) International agreed Glossary of Basic Terms related to Disaster Management.
(Bonnard et al. 2004). A comprehensive education campaign is then Department of Humanitarian Affairs, DHA-Geneva.
needed. LACE (1991) Loi fédérale sur l’aménagement des cours d’eau (Federal Law on Flood Protection) du
21 juin 1991
LAT (1979) Loi fédérale sur l’aménagement du territoire (Federal Law on Land-use Planning) du 22
Communication juin 1979
In order to allow an efficient management of landslide-prone areas, Lateltin O, Raetzo H, Zanetta P (2004) Recent catastrophic landslides in Switzerland. In: Lacerda et al.
the thorough communication of the existing hazards and their con- (eds) Proceedings ot the 9th International Symposium on Landslides, Rio de Janeiro, pp 131–135
LFo (1991) Loi fédérale sur les forêts (Federal Law on Forestry) du 4 octobre 1991
sequences is of primary importance. The official record of the plots of
Loat R, Zimmermann, M (2004) La gestion des risques en Suisse (Risk Management in Switzerland).
land is not appropriate for this aim as the instability of the ground is In: Veyret Y, Garry G, Meschinet de Richemont N, Armand Colin (eds) Colloque Arche de la Défense
not an objective and permanent characteristic. But the Commune of 22–24 octobre 2002, dans Risques naturels et aménagement en Europe, pp 108–120
Belmont s/Lausanne in the canton of Vaud, half of which is formed of Loup, B (2003) Personal communication and oral presentation at a workshop in Lausanne for the
landslide-prone areas, has set up an interesting and original initiative IMIRILAND Project
Noverraz, F (2002) Stability study relating to the Communal Territory of Belmont s/Lausanne:
to facilitate the transmission of information. A detailed study of all Instability planning and management. Thomas Telford, London, pp 747–754
boreholes, maps and expert advice regarding the stability of slopes OACE (1994) Ordonnance sur l’aménagement des cours d’eau (Ordinance on Land-use Planning) du
has allowed the preparation of a public record of slope instability 2 novembre 1994
conditions for each plot of land, accompanied by advice on the pos- OFAT, OFEE, OFEFP (1997) Prise en compte des dangers dus aux mouvements de terrain dans
le cadre de l’aménagement du territoire (Consideration of Landslide Hazards in Land-use
sible solutions to improve the situation and on the expected hazard Practice). Recommandations. Office fédéral de l’aménagement du territoire (OFAT), Office fédéral
level (Noverraz 2002). The potential owners or builders are thus duly de l’économie des eaux (OFEE), Office fédéral de l’environnement, des forêts et du paysage
informed of the instability conditions of any plot of land and are in a (OFEFP), OCFIM Nr. 310.023f, Berne, Switzerland. (in French; German version also available).
position to take the necessary precautions. www.bwg.admin.ch/themen/natur/f/index.htm
The publication of such information caused some fear of the effect OFEE, OFEFP (1995) Dangers naturels, légende modulable pour la cartographie des phénomènes.
Recommandations. (Natural Hazards, Legend for Hazard Mapping, Guidelines). Office fédéral
of this negative publicity on the prices of the plots of land, but some de l’environnement, des forêts et du paysage (OFEFP), Office fédéral de l’économie des eaux
recent checks on the market did not confirm this. A continuous effort (OFEE), OCFIM Nr. 310.022f, Berne, Switzerland. (in French; German version also available).
should therefore be undertaken at all levels to improve knowledge of www.bwg.admin.ch/themen/natur/f/index.htm
landslide-prone areas and to communicate such data because the Ofo (1992) Ordonnance sur les forêts (Ordinance on Forestry) du 30 novembre 1992
PLANAT (2005) Protection against Natural Hazards in Switzerland–Vision and Strategy. Planat Serial
major costs are mainly due to ignorance of the real nature of these 1/2005, Secretariat of the National Platform for Natural Hazards. Federal Office for Water and
hazards. Geology, Switzerland, pp 1–16. www.planat.ch
Raetzo H, Lateltin O, Tripet JP, Bollinger D (2002) Hazard assessment in Switzerland–codes of practice
Conclusions for mass movements. Bull Eng Geol Environ 263–268
In Switzerland, important efforts have been made to apply the Schmid F, Fraefel M, Hegg C (2004) Unwetterschäden in der Schweiz 1972–2002 (Financial Damage
caused by Flooding and Landslides in Switzeland 1972–2002): Verteilung, Ursachen, Entwicklung.
same strategies and similar approaches for the assessment and Wasser, Energie und Luft, Band 1/2, pp 21–28
management of all kinds of natural hazards (snow avalanches, Vulliet L, Bonnard C (1996) The Chlöwena Landslide: Prediction with a viscous model. Proceedings
floods, debris flows, rock falls and slides). The vulnerability of society of the 7th International. Symposium on Landslides, Trondheim, June 1996, Vol. 1, pp 397–402
grows constantly as a result of the growing population density, of
an enormous increase of economic assets in risk zones, as well as O. Lateltin (
) · C. Haemmig · H. Raetzo
of the increased mobility of the population in particular in exposed Federal Office for Water and Geology (FOWG),
zones. In addition, changing environmental conditions (such as Ländtestrasse 20,
global warming) may aggravate the threat of landslides in the Alps. CH-2501 Biel, Switzerland
e-mail: [email protected]
Land use planning and the resulting zoning laws at the cantonal Tel.: 41-32-328-87-59
and communal levels are among the effective tools for landslide
C. Bonnard
risk management in Switzerland. Since 1991, new federal regulations
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL),
require the 26 Cantons to establish hazard maps and zoning for mass CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
movements so as to restrict development on hazard-prone land. The

320 Landslides 2 . 2005