Environment

A study by researchers at ETH Zurich shows for the first time how a relaxation of Swiss spatial planning policy would affect the locations of wind turbines. If the aim is to have as few wind turbines as possible in the Alps and in Switzerland in general, it would be worth considering using windy agricultural areas on the western Swiss Plateau.

The UN Water Conference will be held in New York from 22 -24 March 2023. In addition to Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, Eawag researchers will also be present. Together with partners, the conference presents a commitment that contributes to the 2030 Water Action Plan. It will also illustrate with projects how research approaches can be directly applied in practice through multilateral cooperation. One of these approaches is the Water Flow Diagram (WFD), which was developed under the lead of Eawag.

EPFL researchers have studied Vernier, a city in the canton of Geneva, as the pilot site for an interactive map that explores our relationship with the built and natural environments.

The Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), a popular postcard subject in the southernmost Swiss canton, originates from Asia and is extremely resistant to cold. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL has now investigated the potential impact of its massive spread in the forests of Ticino and proposes targeted control measures.

In a major joint project with top Indian scientists, PSI researchers have determined why smog forms at night in the Indian capital New Delhi, contrary to all the rules of atmospheric chemistry. Their results have now been published in the journal Nature Geoscience.