Regional assessment of water scarcity in the Canton of St. Gallen | EBP

The growing impact of climate change will lead to ever more frequent occurrences of local water scarcity. The impact expresses itself in terms of depleted water resources, usage restrictions, and an aquatic environment threatened by drought. It has therefore become necessary that Swiss cantons assess the degree to which climate change has an impact on their regions and determine where there is a need for intervention.

Working on behalf of the Canton of St. Gallen, we carried out a region-by-region, cross-sector analysis to assess the extent of local water scarcity and the need for intervention. To do so, we adapted a method proposed by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to the circumstances in St. Gallen.

Our services

Method refinement: define the water scarcity problems, establish assessment areas, define scenarios
Selection of the relevant data sources
Classification of water scarcity problems according to relevance and severity
Assessment of regional need for action
Collation of approaches to action and measures
Inclusion of stakeholders in two workshops
Collaboration with a cantonal project group and with external experts