Project

Communicating the parameters of the new littoral zone regulations introduced to protect bodies of water in the Canton of Zurich

The various cantons in Switzerland have been called upon by the Swiss Federal Council to demarcate a protected littoral zone around and along all of their lakes, rivers and streams. EBP was commissioned by the Canton of Zurich to help it communicate the new littoral zone regulations to municipalities and the public.

Typically prized by commercial developers and private individuals, the spaces bordering the bodies of water that make up our aquatic environment are in demand and becoming ever scarcer. In response to the associated environmental concerns, the Swiss Federal Council has introduced legislation to ensure greater protection of this littoral zone and to thereby help secure the continued vitality our many attractive lakes, rivers and streams, as well as the flora and fauna they support. But what are the parameters that are to apply to the newly protected littoral zones? How far does the protected littoral zone extend from the water’s edge? And what will the new regulations mean for the owners of property along our lakes, rivers and streams?

Two explanatory videos

Working on behalf of the Zurich Office of Waste, Water, Energy and Air (AWEL), EBP produced two approximately 2-minute videos that offer clarification on these and other similar questions. Even the nuanced answer to the apparently simple question about the protected zone’s distance to the water’s edge in individual cases is intuitively explained with the help of animated illustrations.

How far does the protected littoral zone extend from the water’s edge?
What regulations apply within protected littoral zones?

EBP assumed responsibility for the complete production of both explanatory videos. In addition to the video illustrations and animation, the scope of this work included the provision of consulting services and the drafting of a storyboard and text.

Brochure and website content

We also helped the AWEL to explain the protected zone demarcation specifications to municipalities and to the general public. To supplement these efforts, EBP drafted an 8-page brochure with the key information on the zoning specifications, and compiled explanatory content for a reference website: www.gewaesserraum.zh.ch.

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