Swiss farmers prepare for droughts with major irrigation project

This year’s drought has placed Swiss agriculture under severe pressure. In canton Bern, a new 90-kilometre network of underground pipes is expected to secure water supplies for almost 200 farms. The Bernese Seeland region in the northwest of the country is preparing for one of Switzerland’s largest irrigation projects. Costing around CHF15 million ($18.6 million), it will combine underground pipelines with electric pumps to deliver water across some 1,700 hectares of farmland. The region’s existing irrigation system relies on a network of canals between lakes Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel. But the infrastructure is increasingly struggling to meet demand. “Our canal system was designed primarily to ensure water drainage,” says Aurelia Marti of the Ins-Gampelen-Gals land consortium. While the canals have been used for irrigation for years, farming conditions have changed dramatically. Hotter, drier summers and rising quality standards mean crops require far more frequent watering than ...