The River Thur is freed from its straightjacket

Canton Zurich has been carrying out pioneering work, restoring the canalised River Thur to its natural state and reducing the risk of flooding in the area, as well as creating new habitats for wildlife. The project inspired the federal government to change the law. Developers carrying out work affecting Swiss rivers now have to follow canton Zurich's example and try to renaturalise water courses, thus promoting biodiversity. (Julie Hunt, swissinfo.ch)

This content was published on March 15, 2010 - 20:19

1 minute

Julie worked as a radio reporter for BBC and independent radio all over the UK before joining swissinfo.ch's predecessor, Swiss Radio International, as a producer. After attending film school, Julie worked as an independent filmmaker before coming to swissinfo.ch in 2001. 

Julie Hunt

Culture

Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland

Swiss Abroad

Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden

Foreign affairs

Swiss nerves jangle after Trump victory

Multinational companies

Davos entourages will face 10-fold price increase next year

Swiss Abroad

Crack cocaine crisis escalates in Switzerland

How should Switzerland relieve congestion on its motorways?

On November 24, Swiss voters will decide on a government proposal to expand the motorway network. What do you think about this?

Join the discussion

Oct 28, 2024

62 Likes

78 Comments

View the discussion

How can we avoid AI being monopolised by powerful countries and companies?

AI has the potential to solve many of the world's problems. But the wealthiest countries and tech firms may seek to hoard these benefits.

Join the discussion

Nov 7, 2024

3 Likes

4 Comments

View the discussion

Did you emigrate for financial reasons?

Did life in Switzerland become unaffordable for you? Is that why you emigrated?

Join the discussion

Nov 7, 2024

61 Comments

View the discussion

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

Swiss seek to improve biodiversity reputation

This content was published on Jan 7, 2010 A damning 2007 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found more animal and plants were threatened or had disappeared in Switzerland than in anywhere else in Europe. To mark the United Nations designated biodiversity year, the Swiss environment ministry and various non-governmental organisations have teamed up to develop a series of…

Salt favours highway plant invasion

This content was published on Feb 13, 2010 Furthermore, the salt used to de-ice roads in winter has had a severe impact on habitat, driving out such common wayside plants as daisies and dandelions, and enabling salt-tolerant plants to take root. As a result, some plants which used to be found only on the coast are moving inland. Botanist Raymond Delarze, who runs…

The River Thur is freed from its straightjacket

Popular Stories

More

Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland

More

Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden