Socio-economics consequences of peatland exploitation in Switzerland

Froidevaux Viviane

European research programm RECIPE

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL

Part 1:

Peat and peatland use in Switzerland

Peat extraction

Litter meadows

Present use of raised bogs

Regional distribution

Political framework

Political framework in Switzerland

Chronology of Swiss mire protection

Legal organisation and application of mire habitats and landscapes protection in

Switzerland

Economic importance of peat extraction and peatland

The peat market

Alternative uses of peatlands

Part 2:

Agriculture

General presentation

General ideas in matter of agricultural exploitation of mire areas

Tourism

General presentation

Examples of agricultural and touristical management in Swiss mire landscapes

The mire landscape of Schwägalp

The mire landscape of La Gruère

Partie 1:

Peat and peatland use in Switzerland

Peat extraction

Litter meadows

Present use of raised bogs

Regional distribution

Political framework

Political framework in Switzerland

Chronology of Swiss mire protection

Legal organisation and application of mire habitats and lanscapes protection in Switzerland

Economic importance of peat extraction and peatlands

The peat market

Alternative uses of peatlands

Part 2:

Agriculture

General presentation

General ideas in matter of agricultural exploitation of mire areas

Tourism

General presentation

Examples of agricultural and touristical management in Swiss mire landscapes

The mire landscape of Schwägalp

The mire landscape of La Gruère

SOME WORDS ABOUT HISTORY…

Beginning of peat exploitation: 18th century

Industrial exploitations: middle of the 19th century

Beginning of the 20th century: about 60% of peatlands had disappeared

1st World War: strong exploitation

2nd Worl War: strong exploitation and drainages

During both World Wars, more than 2.5 millions of tons of peat are extracted

Disappearance of 1000 hectares

Years 1940-1970: development of horticultural peat

1987: acceptation of the Rothenthurm Initiative, protection of peatlands

La Chaux-des-Breuleux / JU

REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION:

1’500 hectares of raised bogs

about 500 ha are primary or nearly intact

about 1’000 ha are secondary

In total, 5’165 hectares are protected by the raised and transitional bogs inventory.

0.13% of the Swiss territory

18’000 hectares of fens and about 88’000 hectares of mire landscapes can be added

THE PEAT MARKET: IMPORT

Diverse origins, but principally

On average: 115’000 tons of peat are imported every year

Germany Belgium The NetherlandsFrance

Italy Sweden

RussiaLithuaniaLatvia Belarus

Peat import development between 1988 and 2003

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

14000019

88

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Qu

anti

ties

(to

ns)

According to the Customs General Direction, 2004

According to the Customs General Direction, 2004

Import 1988-2003

0

20'000

40'000

60'000

80'000

100'000

120'000

140'000

1'98

8

1'98

9

1'99

0

1'99

1

1'99

2

1'99

3

1'99

4

1'99

5

1'99

6

1'99

7

1'99

8

1'99

9

2'00

0

2'00

1

2'00

2

2'00

3

Qu

anti

ties

(to

ns)

Other countries

Eastern Countries

The netherlands

Germany

Does Switzerland export peat?

YES!

What for peat?

Industrial or manufactured products that are produced on our territory from rough peat

Principal partners:

The quantities are very varying and not high

THE PEAT MARKET: EXPORT

GERMANY AUSTRIA

Peat export development between 1988 and 2003

0

500

1'000

1'500

2'000

2'500

3'000

3'500

4'000

4'50019

88

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Qu

anti

ties

(to

ns)

According to the Customs General Direction, 2004

According to the Customs General Direction, 2004

Peat export from Switzerland between 1988 and 2003

0

500

1'000

1'500

2'000

2'500

3'000

3'500

4'000

4'500

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

Qu

anti

ties

(to

ns)

Other countries

Austria

Germany

The Swiss agriculture get direct payments

• General direct payments

• Ecological direct payments

These direct payments have to obey ecological required contributions

obligation to have a part of ecological compensation surface areas

• Litter meadows

• Extensive meadows

• Extensive pasture lands

THE AGRICULTURAL EXPLOITATION OF MIRES

According to Meier & Rudmann, 1997

Specifical diversity according to the agricultural exploitation

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

Num

ber

of v

eget

al s

peci

es

Fallow lands

Pasture lands

Maintenance mow

Mow of the litter

Agricultural zones Contribution (per ha)

Great cultures and intermediary zones

CHF 1500

Hills zone CHF 1200

Mountain zones I and II CHF 700

Mountain zones III and IV CHF 450

CONTRIBUTIONS FOR EXTENSIVE AND LITTER MEADOWS:

According to the Federal Office for Agriculture, 2003

LITTER MEADOWS…

• 6634 exploitations

• 6600 hectares

• On average 922 CHF per hectare

• More than 6 millions of CHF per year

Type of parametre

Unity Plain area

Hills area

Mountain area

Total

Exploitations Nbr 1’705 1’830 3’099 6’634

Surface area Ha 1’711 1’423 3’437 6’571

Contribution per exploitation

CHF 1’478 751 699 914

Total contributions

1000 CHF

2’520 1’375 2’166 6’061According to the Federal Office of Agriculture, 2003

LES PRAIRIES EXTENSIVES…

Type of parametre

Unity Plain area

Hills area

Mountain area

Total

Exploitations

Nbr 18’201 9’049 9’679 36’929

Surface area

Ha 22’783 9’222 14’066 46’071

Contribution per exploitation

CHF 1’836 1’031 768 1’359

Total contributions

1000 CHF

33’417 9’332 7’436 50’186

• 37’000 exploitations• 46’000 hectares• On average 1’089 CHF per hectare• More than 50 millions of CHF per year

According to the Federal Office of Agriculture, 2003

Direct payments in 2002:

- litter meadows = 0.24%

- extensive meadows = 2%

The ecological compensation surface areas cover 120’000 hectares, that means about 11% of the useful agricultural surface area

Mean amounts paid per exploitation:

- general direct payments: 36’000 CHF per year

- ecological direct payments: 7’000 CHF per year

43’000 CHF per year per exploitation

2.5 milliards de CHF

• Raised bogs: 1’257 hectares

940’000 CHF

• Fens: 9’700 hectares

9 millions de CHF

In total, about 10 millions of CHF, that means an average of 913 CHF per hectare

SURFACE AREAS OF THE FEDERAL INVENTORIES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE EXPLOITED

TOURISM IN MIRES

Observation: big lack of pieces of data!

Landscape and nature are the main reasons of the choice of Switzerland as holydays site.

In1998, 30.6 billions of CHF were spent in the tourism sector

Added value: 12.9 billions de CHF

3.4% of the GDP

- Landscape utility: 2.5 billions of CHF

- Landscape value: 70 billions of CHF

The mire landscape have a very strong impact in the landscape

MAIN PROBLEMS:

Incomes engendered by landscapes are not used for their maintenance or their development.

Without infrastructures, tourism can not produce added value and therefore can not produce money.

The landscape remains a public good with free access. It is very difficult to determine to him a market price.

We have to attribute an utility value to the nature protection and define its economical importance as capital and factor of production that is essential to the national economy.

• Extremely famous touristical site

• 56 hectares of raised bogs

A CONCRETE EXAMPLE: THE MIRE LANDSCAPE OF LA GRUERE

Main problems and damages:

Peat stamping

Banks erosion

Wastes

Bathing and skating

« Wild » toilets

…

If the agricultural management is quite in order, there is still problems with the touristical management:

• Between 100’000 et 150’000 visitors per year

• Most of them come with their private vehicle

• They are not aware of the existence of the raised bog

• They want more touristical infrastructures

The site is perceived as a public park or a leisure park and not as a nature reserve

Proposals of touristical management:

• Maintenance of the current situationAlways more damages

• Ideal protection of the peatland

Emptying of the lake

• To establish a balance between the nature protection and tourism

Picnic zones, dustbins, toilets, pontoons, ways around the lake and the reserve

Option A: fishing and bathing are allowed

Option B: fishing and bathing are not allowed

Countries partner of RECIPE can be divided into two groups:

• Countries were exploitation is maintained or intensifyied

• Countries were the exploitation stopped or will stop

IN CONCLUSION…

Durability in the exploitation

Re-use of the sites

The contribution of Switzerland is an examle of what could happen in the other countries if they continue to exploit strongly their peatlands.