Bridges and Barriers to Adaptive Capacity - Climate Change and Water Governance: Adaptive Capacity in Chile and Switzerland - page 208

Scale Barriers Bridges

Federal administration is perceived sceptically, particularly by the
more autonomous and independent cantons (e.g. Valais,
Graubunden, which also are mountain cantons) - increasingly the
difficulty of consensus building for legislation, policies and plans
which push for integration of environmental concerns and longer
term challenges from climate change impacts; at the canton level,
there can be little interest in a 'national overview' or any
suggestions coming from Bern

Despite the sectoral components of different federal acts
concerning water (WPA, FPA, EPA, Hydropower Laws),
there is a strong 200 year old legal basis from which
water is governed, which is supported by corresponding
environmental legislation - strong basis which has over
time been adapted to face new challenges (i.e. moving
from protection against water, to use of water, to the
protection of water)
Learning networks with federal research institutes and
universities, where federal institutions can integrate
cantonal institutions to research on water resource
related issues (e.g. future irrigation requirements)
Informal partnerships and knowledge networks (such as WA21)
are coordinated from federal level research institutes (e.g.
EAWAG, WSL) to foster learning and cooperation as well as
cross sector collaboration for solutions to future challenges
in water resource management (e.g. climate change impacts,
further integration into EU frameworks for energy and water
related legislation, rising energy demands etc.) - these
institutes attempt to collaborate right down to the commune
level (bridging organisations)
Crisis of flooding events and environmental degradation of
waterways in the past decades opened up opportunity for
both canton and federal institutions to shift to longer term
more uncertainty based forward planning and awareness of
potential future shocks and the implementation of new
concepts (e.g., Third Rhône Correction), which encourage
flexible and robust approaches that embrace integrated risk
management

Strong reliance on financial incentives and subsidies to enforce legal
provisions for environmental and social aspects of water
management (e.g. in revitalization projects, if the extra money is
not needed from the federal government, then there is no
obligation for a more participative process that also integrates
extra ecological aspects as requested in federal legislation - ref
NFA)
Perceived lack of capacity, know how and preparation in hydropower
sector for future challenges (climate change, EU integration etc)
Ecologisation of water resources management and change in federal
philosophy towards a more integrated approach has alienated
certain groups, in particular the agricultural lobby who perceive
the federal government to be in collusion with environmental
lobbyists

Canton
level

Institutional fragmentation across different cantonal level authorities
and sectors means that there is little common coordination
towards water issues; also, sectoral bodies tend to work bilaterally
rather than systematically and while there are examples of
relationship building and cooperation it is on an ad hoc basis
rather than systematic

(continued)