Editing Geography of Switzerland (section)

==Environment==
{{See also|Environmental movement in Switzerland|Health in Switzerland#Environmental issues related to health	}}
[[Image:Gletscherschmelze.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Retreat of glaciers since 1850|retreat]] of [[Aletsch Glacier]] (situation in 1979, 1991 and 2002), due to [[global warming]]]]
With the delicate alpine and glacial environments making up a significant portion of the country and providing a major industry, Switzerland has been concerned with environmental issues. Some of the main issues are listed below.

===Air===
The main environmental issues in Switzerland's air is [[air pollution]] from vehicle emissions and open-air burning as well as [[acid rain]].<ref name="CIA Factbook"/> In 2004, the average amount of [[carbon dioxide]] (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions per resident was {{convert|6|t|ST LT|1|lk=on}}<ref name="BFS"/> and in 2005 was {{convert|6.2|t|ST LT|1}}.<ref name="MDG">[http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx United Nations Millennium Development Goals Indicators] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317081247/http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Data.aspx |date=2011-03-17 }} accessed December 2, 2008</ref> With these numbers, Switzerland is 31st to 33rd among the 45 nations listed by United Nations [[Millennium Development Goals]] Indicators as [[developed nation]]s and 69th worldwide.<ref name="MDG"/> In 2009 Switzerland announced that they expected by 2010 to reduce their total greenhouse gas emissions by 8% to 10% over emissions in 1990.<ref name="BFS Environment"/>

The population ({{as of|2005|lc=on}}) uses 3.76 [[Tonne of oil equivalent|tonnes of oil equivalent]] per person per year, of which 43.7% comes from [[petroleum]] and 19% from [[nuclear power]].<ref name="BFS"/>

===Water===
The major water issue in Switzerland is [[water pollution]] from the increased use of agricultural fertilizers as well as [[hydrocarbon]] pollution from transport and industry.<ref name="CIA Factbook"/> While improvements have been made, there are still issues with [[eutrophication]] (an increase in nitrogen and phosphates) in many lakes in the Swiss Plateau.<ref name="BFS Environment"/>

The total renewable [[water resources]] of Switzerland, {{as of|2005|lc=on}}, totals {{convert|53.3|km3|impgal USgal|abbr=on}},<ref name="CIA Factbook"/> of which the total [[freshwater]] withdrawal is {{convert|2.5|km3|impgal USgal|abbr=on}} per year. This breaks down to a ''[[per capita]]'' freshwater withdrawal of {{convert|348|m3|impgal USgal|abbr=on}} per year. Of that water ({{as of|2002|lc=on}}), 24% is used in households, 74% in industry and only 2% is used for agriculture.<ref name="CIA Factbook"/>

In Switzerland, there are officially 38,000 polluted sites, 4,000 of which represent a real threat to [[groundwater]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/7982248-la-suisse-compte-encore-pres-de-38000-sites-pollues-a-assainir.html|title = La Suisse compte encore près de 38'000 sites pollués à assainir|date = 2 September 2016}}</ref>

===Biodiversity===
[[File:Alpine Ibex.jpg|thumb|An alpine ibex in the [[Lötschental]]]]
Switzerland is facing a [[Biodiversity loss|loss of biodiversity]].<ref name="CIA Factbook"/> While the country is quite small, the wide range of climates allow a variety of organisms to flourish. There are about 50,000 animal and plant species living in Switzerland.<ref name="BFS Environment"/> While most species that live on north and south foothills of the Alps are generally doing well, the Swiss Plateau is seeing a decrease in many species. The pressure from city and agricultural growth is reducing or eliminating the habitat of many species that once flourished along the plateau. There are about 60 species that are considered endangered that live in Switzerland.<ref name="BFS Environment"/> To help offset this, 28.6% of the country is set aside as a protected natural area.<ref name="MDG"/> In 2001, the [[Federal Office for the Environment]] FOEN launched a nationwide programme to systematically monitor biodiversity ([[Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland]]).<ref>[http://www.biodiversitymonitoring.ch/en/home.html ''biodiversitymonitoring.ch.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804055413/https://www.biodiversitymonitoring.ch/en/home.html |date=2020-08-04 }} Website of the Biodiversity Monitoring Switzerland. Retrieved 2019-05-08.</ref>

===International agreements===
''Party to:''
*[[Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution|Air Pollution]]
*[[Nitrogen Oxide Protocol|Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides]]
*[[Sulphur Emissions Reduction Protocol (disambiguation)|Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94]]
*[[Volatile Organic Compounds Protocol|Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds]]
*Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
*[[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]]
*[[Convention on Biological Diversity|Biodiversity]]
*[[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]]
*[[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]]
*[[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora|Endangered Species]]
*[[Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques|Environmental Modification]]
*[[Basel Convention|Hazardous Wastes]]
*[[Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter|Marine Dumping]]
*[[Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas|Marine Life Conservation]]
*[[Nuclear Test Ban]]
*[[Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer|Ozone Layer Protection]]
*[[International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships|Ship Pollution]]
*[[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983|Tropical Timber 83]]
*[[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994|Tropical Timber 94]]
*[[Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat|Wetlands]]
*[[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling|Whaling]]

''Signed, but not ratified:''
*[[Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty|Antarctic-Environmental Protocol]]
*[[Kyoto Protocol|Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol]]
*[[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|Law of the Sea]]<ref name="CIA Factbook"/>