(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Twenty years after the“flood of the century”, the Swiss approach to hazard insurance, based on solidarity, could inspire other countries dealing with increasingly frequent disasters. This content was published on August 21, 2025 - 09:00 9 minutes

I cover climate change and energy through reportages, articles, interviews and in-depth reports. I am interested in the impacts of global warming on everyday life and solutions for an emission-free planet. Passionate about travel and discovery, I studied biology and other natural sciences. I have been a journalist for SWI swissinfo for more than 20 years.

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“The River Aare is now flowing through the alleys of this old part of the city and the water has reached the first floor of many houses.” So began a Swissinfo report from the Matte district in Bern's Old Town after torrential rains hit central and eastern Switzerland beginning on August 21, 2005.

The flood was one of the worst natural disasters in modern Swiss history. Six people died and property damage totalled about CHF3 billion ($3.7 billion), making it the largest insurance payout in Switzerland since 1970.

Twenty years later, the banks of the Aare have been partly reinforced, and the Matte district has regained its old charm. The repairs to private property were largely covered by Switzerland's unique natural disaster insurance programme, which paid out CHF2.3 billion.

The risk of another major flood, in Bern as in many other regions of Switzerland, remains. Floods, landslides, hail, forest fires and other extreme events are becoming more intense and more frequent all over the world owing to climate change. They are also becoming more expensive.

>> Due to increased flood risk Swiss cities are implementing innovative methods to mitigate risks:

More More Urban flooding slowly becomes a priority issue for Switzerland

This content was published on May 10, 2024 Climate change is pushing Switzerland to change the way it handles urban flooding. As flood risks grow, cities are implementing innovative ways to mitigate the risks.

Read more: Urban flooding slowly becomes a priority issue for Switzerlan

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