Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria

As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades. Because of the risk of flooding in the lower Rhine valley, Switzerland and Austria have decided to improve protection on the basis of a new treaty, the government said on Wednesday. The project concerns the 26-kilometre stretch of border between the mouth of the Ill river and Lake Constance. The plan is to provide better protection for the lower Rhine valley by boosting the river’s flow capacity from 3,100 m3/s to 4,300 m3/s, and by cleaning up dykes which have been worn down over time. The measures are also designed to increase safety for the 300,000 inhabitants of the valley and to ensure the region’s long-term economic development. + Can floods from melting glaciers be predicted and prevented? The measures will meanwhile provide better protection for the population concerned and help to ...