Switzerland ranks last in protected areas
Switzerland likes to portray itself as a land of nature, but when it comes to protected areas, it lags behind the rest of Europe. While the EU is designating large-scale national parks, Natura 2000 sites, and new wildlife reserves, Switzerland has remained at an insufficient level for years. For many species that depend on undisturbed habitats, the pressure remains high, particularly from recreational hunting, forestry, tourism, and infrastructure.
New large protected areas are being created in Scandinavia, the Alpine region and parts of Southern Europe, in which at least part of the landscape is taken out of use.
These areas offer wildlife refuges where they can live out their natural behaviors without being constantly hunted or driven away.
Switzerland , on the other hand, has been debating small-scale patches, special rules, and exceptions for years, instead of developing a clear strategy for genuine wilderness and large-scale ecological connectivity. The result is a patchwork of partially overused protected areas where hunting interests, forestry, and tourism development are often given higher priority than the needs of wildlife. It is particularly problematic that sensitive species such as red deer, chamois, and large predators rarely find large, undisturbed zones.
At the same time, the biodiversity crisis is worsening. In our biodiversity section, we document how habitats are fragmenting, how recreational hunting and land use affect threatened species, and how difficult it is forpolicymakers to set binding targets. While the EU at least formally sets ambitious area targets and establishes new protection categories, Swiss targets often remain vague or non-binding and are regularly missed. While EU countries protect an average of around a quarter of their land area, Switzerland, depending on the method of calculation, only manages about ten percent.
The difference is particularly evident in the Alpine region: While neighboring countries are expanding national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and hunting-free core areas, Switzerland continues to focus heavily on "utilization optimization" and hunting management. This undermines the true potential of protected areas: Wild animals should not only survive, but be able to live in functioning ecosystems. As long as protected areas are primarily treated as bargaining chips between user groups, rather than as the backbone of a genuine biodiversity strategy, Switzerland will remain at the bottom of the list, and wild animals will pay the price.
