Governance in the Face of Uncertainty and Change - Climate Change and Water Governance: Adaptive Capacity in Chile and Switzerland - page 173

Table 10.2 Overview of adaptive actions and major institutions, governance and management mechanisms affecting adaptive capacity identified in the Swiss case

Rhône basin,
Canton Valais
Switzerland

Federal 1992 Federal Water Protection Act (WPA, Art 29)

Residual flows now quantitatively protect flowing waters; efforts
to reduce impacts from hydro-peaking; legislative guidance
on sustainable management of water resources
Bundesverordnung für Trinkwasserversorgung in Notzeiten/
Federal Ordinance on Drinking Water Provision in
Emergency Periods (1995)
The Federal Government proposes an organisational structure
to deal with drinking water in any kind of crisis, i.e. drought,
earthquakes, war, floods. It is an ordinance of the WPA.

The updated water law passed in 1992
provides for the enhancement of
ecological services and the sustainability
of waterways. It led to new policy
guidance on flood management, that has
been implemented in the plan for the
TRC. However, there are no overarching
principles on managing water conflict or
stress.
This has yet to be implemented in the Canton
Valais. The canton is supposed to develop
a 'wasserkarte/atlas' (a water map), which
is a separate requirement to the hazard
maps, but the Valais has not done this yet.
The ordinance provides guidelines as to
how to maintain water provision during
disaster periods, but does not set
guidelines as to priorities during drought
periods.

Wasser Agenda 21(WA21)
Informal cross sector collaborative body on water issues
in Switzerland with multiple committees

This informal institution represents a
cross-sector collaboration that aims to
provide guidance and support for adapting
to the increasing stresses facing water
resources management in Switzerland.