
Water protection from the bottom up
For a long time, Switzerland's watercourses were severely affected by wastewater, chemicals and hydropower. It was not until the 1950s that a water protection movement developed. How did it achieve its goals?


Taming and using the waters

The Federal Act on Fisheries […] had obliged the cantons for over 70 years to keep fishing waters clean. Unfortunately, the provisions of this law […] remained largely unfulfilled.


Fish dying in polluted Lake Neuchâtel in 1964. The influx of pollutants and nutrients led to a proliferation of algae, which upset the biological balance and lowered the oxygen content of the water. Swimming in the lake was completely banned. Keystone
Technology-based water protection


Just like our forests, our still and flowing waters are part of our homeland, which we must cherish and nurture and protect from harm with all the means available to us.
An integral approach to water protection
