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A German-flagged cargo ship on the Rhine in Basel in June 2025. <\/p>\n
Keystone \/ Georgios Kefalas <\/p>\n
Switzerland holds 6% of Europe\u2019s water reserves. Who decides how to use the rivers and lakes that cross national borders? Professor Christian Br\u00e9thaut explains the agreements, priorities and conflicts – and the unresolved case of Lake Maggiore.\n<\/p>\n
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August 13, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
Water management has once again become an urgent issue amid the ongoing drought conditions in Europe. Last week, Swiss Environment Minister Albert R\u00f6sti announced a review of the national water strategy. This is an issue that concerns not only the Swiss federal government, but also its relations with its neighbours.<\/p>\n
Switzerland is known as Europe\u2019s \u201cwater tower\u201d. But this hides a complex reality: managing this resource means constantly negotiating with neighbouring states. Every river flowing from the Alps and every shared lake is a potential source of conflict or cooperation.<\/p>\n
Christian Br\u00e9thaut, an expert in water governance at the University of Geneva, explained to Swiss public broadcaster RSI how these mechanisms actually work \u2013 and why climate change means tensions are likely to increase.<\/p>\n
Switzerland holds 6% of Europe\u2019s water<\/p>\n
Switzerland covers only a small fraction of Europe\u2019s territory, yet it holds around 6% of the continent\u2019s freshwater reserves. Its glaciers, lakes and rivers are a remarkable natural asset, but one that extends far beyond its borders. The Ticino flows into Italy\u2019s Po River, the Rhine winds its way towards Germany and the Netherlands, and the Rh\u00f4ne crosses France before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n
This geographical position makes Switzerland a key player in water diplomacy. But it also involves huge responsibilities: every decision taken in Bern can have consequences hundreds of kilometres away.<\/p>\n
Who makes the decisions in the event of a drought?<\/p>\n
The most difficult question arises when water is in short supply, as it has been this year. Who has priority? Households needing water for domestic use? Farmers who need to irrigate their crops? Hydroelectric power stations or factories that use water to cool their machinery?<\/p>\n
\u201cPriorities are set according to the most critical safety needs,\u201d Br\u00e9thaut told RSI. \u201cThe supply of drinking water is the cornerstone. Water is a fundamental human right; we mustn\u2019t forget that. Then there are food security and energy security.\u201d<\/p>\n
The problem is that there is currently a lack of precise data on actual consumption for different uses. \u201cIt is essential to gain a better understanding of this consumption in order to be able to work out how and when to set priorities,\u201d the expert warns.<\/p>\n
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Climate adaptation\n <\/p>\n
Sparse rainfall and heatwaves have put Switzerland on drought alert <\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
Jul 28, 2026 <\/p>\n
Fifty years after the \u201cdrought of the century\u201d, Switzerland is facing into summer 2026 with unusually low water reserves. Some simple measures can prevent critical situations. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Read more: Sparse rainfall and heatwaves have put Switzerland on drought alert Agreements that work: the Rhine, the Rh\u00f4ne and Lake Constance<\/p>\n Not all of Switzerland\u2019s cross-border waters are managed in the same way. Some arrangements work very well, while others remain sources of conflict.<\/p>\n In the north and west, the situation is under control. \u201cThe Rhine, the Danube and Lake Constance are very well-regulated cases; I would say they are exemplary in terms of cross-border water resource management,\u201d explains the professor, who is also co-director of the UNESCO Chair in Hydropolitics. \u201cThere are operational committees and clearly defined responsibilities among the stakeholders for managing crises.\u201d<\/p>\n Switzerland has also made decisive progress with France following years of negotiations. In 2025, two historic agreements were signed: one for Lake Geneva and the other for the Rh\u00f4ne.External link<\/a> The negotiations began in 2011, when France was facing a severe drought.<\/p>\n \u201cThese agreements help to pre-empt potential tensions which, with climate change, are becoming more acute,\u201d he told RSI. \u201cThey establish forums for discussion not only regarding the current situation but also for crisis situations. Agreements already exist for most European rivers; the Rh\u00f4ne has long been an exception.\u201d<\/p>\n The unresolved case: Lake Maggiore<\/p>\n South of the Alps, however, the situation is more complicated. Lake Maggiore remains an unresolved issue between canton Ticino and Italy. Italy wants to raise the lake\u2019s water level to ensure water supplies for agriculture in the Po Valley. But canton Ticino fears flooding in the Locarno area. This year, Piedmont asked the Ticino authorities to increase the flow of water into Lake Maggiore,External link<\/a> which has been at very low levels for some time, but the cantonal government refusedExternal link<\/a>, as there is already too little water to meet the canton\u2019s own needs.<\/p>\n According to Br\u00e9thaut, Swiss federalism is a strength, but it has its limits. \u201cOur federalism and the principle of subsidiarity mean that the cantons are on the front line when it comes to managing this sort of crisis. They are the ones who know the challenges and the mechanisms of good neighbourly relations better than anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n However, he emphasises that when local tensions become diplomatic issues, Bern must step in. \u201cThese issues quickly reach the highest levels of politics. The Swiss federal government must commit to supporting the cantonal authorities in their discussions with neighbouring states.\u201d<\/p>\n Political action<\/p>\n The management of Lake Maggiore is not currently governed by an international treaty on an equal footing, unlike Lake Lugano, which is governed by a 1955 convention, or Lake Geneva, where the agreement between Switzerland and France includes specific quantitative provisions.<\/p>\n To fill this legal vacuum, Ticino parliamentarian Bruno Storni has tabled a motion in Bern backed by 28 co-signatories. The text formally calls on the Federal Council to initiate bilateral negotiations with Italy to reach a fair and sustainable international convention.<\/p>\n Bern\u2019s position, as expressed by Environment Minister Albert R\u00f6sti, is cautious but firmExternal link<\/a>: \u201cA decision on the future definitive regulation would require an agreement between Switzerland and Italy. However, the Federal Council would not conclude such an agreement against the will of canton Ticino.\u201d<\/p>\n The Federal Office for the Environment is currently monitoring the situation to ensure that the trial phase agreed for this year, does not exceed safety limits for Swiss territory.<\/p>\n Is a supranational body needed?<\/p>\n Faced with increasingly frequent crises, some people have called for the creation of an international body to manage water from the top down. Br\u00e9thaut is sceptical. \u201cThe challenges associated with drought are highly context-specific. I doubt that the international level is the most appropriate for setting priorities and making decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n It is better to focus on flexible bilateral agreements, the expert argues. \u201cAt the international level, we have numerous frameworks that enable us to define fundamental principles: international law conventions or the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These commitments should enable us to anticipate crises or manage them when they occur.\u201d<\/p>\n The problem is that international law is being eroded. Increasingly, there are situations where negotiations no longer work or where states withdraw from signed agreements. This is why the Swiss federal government \u2013 through the Geneva Water HubExternal link<\/a> and the Blue Peace programmeExternal link<\/a> \u2013 continues to promote water as an instrument of peace.<\/p>\n \u201cSwitzerland is a recognised player in this field. I hope it will continue to make a long-term commitment to cooperation in the water sector, and not just in disaster response,\u201d says Br\u00e9thaut.<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Climate solutions\n <\/p>\n How to prevent conflicts over water in the middle of Europe <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Jun 26, 2023 <\/p>\n Switzerland wants more water to produce electricity. France and Italy need it for agriculture. How can different needs be reconciled? <\/p>\n
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