The Federal Authorities issue warnings on natural hazards for the public and cantonal and/or community authorities. The federal agencies with responsibility for natural hazards are coordinated by the Steering Committee Intervention in Natural Hazards (LAINAT).
The Federal agencies with responsibility for natural hazards, i.e. the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the Federal Office for Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL with the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, the Swiss Seismological Service and, in addition, the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) and the Federal Office of Topography swisstopo, have joined forces in the Steering Committee Intervention in Natural Hazards (LAINAT). The secretariat for the Common Information Platform for Natural Hazards (GIN) is attached to the LAINAT secretariat.
MeteoSwiss is the national weather and climate service for the Swiss public, for government, industry and science. With its public service it ensures the basic supply of weather and climate information in Switzerland and thereby makes a substantial contribution to the well-being and the safety of the population. Surface observation systems, weather radars, satellites, radio sounding and other remote sensing instruments monitor the weather. Using the collected data, the weather services of MeteoSwiss generate forecasts and warn authorities and the public of imminent severe weather. Furthermore, these data are exploited by our teams of experts who analyze climate change and extreme weather events and develop scenarios for climate development in Switzerland.
The mission of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is to ensure the sustainable use of natural re-sources, including soil, water, air and forests. It is responsible for minimising natural hazards, reducing risks to the environment and human health from excessive pollution, conserving biodiversity and representing Switzerland in international environmental policy arenas. With respect to natural hazards, the FOEN is responsible for hydrological forecasts and flood warnings, associated mass movements, drought and risks of forest fires.
The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich is the federal agency responsible for monitoring earthquakes in Switzerland and its neighboring countries and for assessing Switzerland’s seismic hazard. When an earthquake happens, the SED informs the public, authorities, and the media about the earthquake’s location, magnitude, and possible consequences.
The SLF The SLF conducts solution-orientated research into natural hazards, mountain ecosystems and snow and ice in a changing world and offers various services. It develops concepts, strategies and concrete measures for protecting the population from natural hazards and dealing with risks and sustainable solutions for socially relevant problems - together with its partners from science and society.
The SLF assesses the avalanche danger in the Swiss Alps and issues daily avalanche bulletins in the winter. The SLF's operational snow-hydrological service (OSHD) continuously analyses the distribution of snow water resources and assists the flood warning service of the BAFU. The SLF is part of the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL and thus belongs to the ETH Domain.