Land use - Drivers and pressures (Switzerland)

According to Swiss land-use statistics, 11 hectares of productive land in Switzerland were lost every day during the last two decades of the 20th century. That is almost one square metre a second. Around three-quarters of that land take is for new areas of settlement and infrastructure. The areas that remain in the Central Plateau region and in the Alpine valleys are steadily shrinking. However, that development does appear to be slowing somewhat. This is indicated by the first part of the results of the latest land-use statistics survey.

A further problem is increasing soil compaction. This phenomenon stems from the rationalisation of forestry and agriculture, where ever heavier machinery is being deployed. Water erosion is a particular threat to farmed soils on hillsides with sparse vegetation: it is estimated that 20 % of cropland is affected. Alpine soils are damaged by extensive machine-grading of ski pistes and by artificial snow production. In addition there is local overuse, because livestock numbers are too high.

The Swiss Landscape Monitoring Programme (LABES) is developing 37 indicators about the state and the modifications in landscape. One is dedicated to the phenomenon of urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is a persistent trend affecting the landscape. Some of the negative consequences include the loss of cultivated land, open spaces and local recreational zones as well as higher traffic volumes due to the widening distances between housing and centres of employment. In landscapes subject to urban sprawl, land is in heavy demand. Most often, prime agricultural land falls victim to wasteful and inefficient residential development.

Alongside urban sprawl, a further problem is soil sealing. With rising numbers of settlements and their accompanying transport infrastructure, an increasing area of land is sealed with impervious surfaces. Soil sealing is increasing at an annual rate of 1 %. The main categories of sealed surfaces are buildings and roads. As a result of sealing, soil loses its natural ecological function as a holding and filtering medium.