Wilderness in Switzerland

A study shows that only 17 percent of Switzerland's total land area still contains wilderness. Larger contiguous wilderness areas exist particularly in the high mountains.

With its Alpine natural landscapes, Switzerland bears great responsibility for wilderness — and yet awareness of the value of wilderness is poorly established in society. To change this, a growing network of organisations has been working for several years to promote more wilderness in Switzerland.

The study concludes that larger areas of high wilderness quality are still found particularly in the high mountains and glaciated regions. Experts assessed the wilderness quality of an area based on four criteria: naturalness, human influences, remoteness, and the ruggedness of the topography.

Some valleys are returning to wilderness

The modelling shows that around 17% of Switzerland consists of large-scale areas with high wilderness quality. These areas are located in the Alps, particularly in the high mountain and glaciated zones.

In recent decades, the intensity of land use has declined across numerous areas, especially in the Alps and pre-Alps, and in particular in the southern valleys. Some valleys are thus in the process of reverting towards wilderness. At the same time, social acceptance of wilderness tends to be lowest precisely where wilderness quality is highest — a dynamic illustrated not least by the conflicts surrounding the wolf in Switzerland.

The Alpine conservation organisation advocates for greater wilderness promotion and for raising public awareness of the value of wilderness. Mountain Wilderness Switzerland presented the study at the first nationwide wilderness conference at the Sihlwald nature experience park. More on biodiversity.