The city of Burgdorf in Switzerland has received a mobile flood protection system from Swiss ICMIF member La Mobilière. This complements the existing resources of the Burgdorf fire brigade which can now use the system flexibly in the region to protect buildings at risk.
The severe floods in 2005 and 2007 revealed weak points along the Emme river in the Burgdorf region of Switzerland. As a result of various measures in the area of the city and in the catchment area of the Emme, the flood risk was reduced. However, as short but heavy rainfall occurs more frequently now, the Emme still reaches a critical level at times – most recently in the summer of 2022.
Now the city of Burgdorf has received an additional means of combating flooding from La Mobilière in the form of a mobile flood protection system. This allows the fire brigade to provide local and rapid support where there is insufficient flood protection without or even with existing structural measures. The system was handed over to the authorities on 11 April and there was a public demonstration of how it would work by the fire brigade. “We would like to thank La Mobilière for this meaningful and generous gift. The mobile dike will help to prevent damage – here in Burgdorf and in the surrounding communities,” says Peter von Arb, municipal councillor and head of department at the Burgdorf City Residents’ and Security Directorate.
400-metre-long flood protection system
The system consists of a container containing 400-metre-long, orange dike elements and all the accessories necessary for their use. Their application can be carried out regardless of location. The dike elements are filled with water and provide targeted protection against flooding by streams, rivers and lakes. The special feature of this container solution is that it can be used very quickly and flexibly. “It’s easy to use. In the future, we will be able to use the elements in places that are particularly prone to flooding,” says Martin Rutschi, Burgdorf Fire Brigade Commander. “The possible locations are currently being analysed in joint workshops with the Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks at the University of Bern using flood models for Burgdorf and the region.” The container is now stationed in Burgdorf, but can also be used elsewhere in the region.
Several municipalities receive flood protection
“With our commitment, we want to prevent damage. This benefits the population and the public sector as well as the insurance company,” says Christian Jordi, General Agent of La Mobilière Burgdorf. Burgdorf is one of five municipalities that will receive a mobile flood protection system from La Mobilière this year. Ten other systems have been given away in the last four years, some of which have already proven themselves in use in the summer of 2021. The locations are not chosen at random. The Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks at the University of Bern has identified Switzerland’s flood hotspots with high damage potential. One of them is the city of Burgdorf and the region along the Emme.
About the Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks
The Mobiliar Lab for Natural Risks is a joint research initiative between the University of Bern’s Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research and La Mobilière. The main focuses of its research are hail, flooding and storms, the processes involved in each of these phenomena and the damage that each one causes. The Mobiliar Lab’s work lies at the crossroads between theory and practice, with the aim of achieving results that will benefit the general public. Support for this venture is part of La Mobilière Cooperative’s social responsibility commitment.
