Let's Save Zürich's Nature

Zürich's nature is in a bad way.

Negative reports about natural diversity have become a depressing routine. Now is the time to act. That is why BirdLife Zürich, Pro Natura Zürich, WWF Zürich, Aqua Viva and the Fishing Association of Canton Zürich are launching the cantonal Nature Initiative.

Recently, bad news has been coming thick and fast: since 1990, the hedgehog has lost almost 40 percent of its habitat in the city of Zürich. Since 1988, more than nine out of ten skylarks have disappeared from Canton Zürich. Over a third of the known locations of endangered plant species have been lost in the past 30 years. The total number of breeding birds across the canton has declined by 150’000 individuals over 20 years.

Zürich's nature is in a bad way

Want more examples? The chirping of crickets, once a familiar sound, is now something most of us only encounter on holidays by the Mediterranean. Some 400 kilometres of streams and rivers are still waiting to flow freely as living waterways once again. Bee die-offs continue, and brown trout populations have suffered a dramatic collapse in recent years. Every day another domino falls, yet hardly anyone is paying attention. The loss of nature is an enormous burden being passed on to future generations.

Now is the time to act

To halt the decline of nature and the loss of species, we need more wildflower meadows, greater diversity in forests and residential areas, more and better protection for wetlands, and more river and stream restoration projects. The most valuable habitats must be secured for the future. To achieve this, Canton Zürich must take a stronger stand for our natural environment than it has done so far.

Saving Zurich's nature costs 32 million francs per year. According to the Nature Initiative, this amount is to be deposited annually into the nature and heritage protection fund in addition to the current 23 million (2018 budget). That is just a tiny fraction of the cantonal budget. Even the operation of the opera house or the personnel costs of the tax administration cost more. Saving nature should be at least as important to us.

Holding Councillor Kägi to His Word

«We depend on nature treating us well. That is why it is in our best interest to treat nature well.» What sounds like a PR text for the initiative was said by Cantonal Councillor Kägi on the occasion of a review of 20 years of the canton of Zurich's overall nature conservation concept. BirdLife Zurich, Pro Natura Zurich, WWF Zurich, Aqua Viva and the Zurich Cantonal Fishing Association are holding Councillor Kägi to his word. They are launching the Nature Initiative to save our natural environment. More on Hunting and Biodiversity and Environment and Nature Conservation.