Introduction
"PLANAT was created in 1997 by the Swiss Federal Council and made responsible for coordinating concepts in the field of prevention against natural hazards. The main objective of the extra-parliamentary commission is a paradigm change from pure protection against hazards to the management of risk. The national platform for natural hazards consists of 18 specialists coming from all regions of Switzerland. The Federal Council appoints them for periods of four years. The Confederation, the cantons , faculty/ research, professional associations, the economy and insurances are all represented in PLANAT. The commission wants to avoid a duplication of efforts in the area of protection against natural hazards and make better use of existing synergies. PLANAT ’s opinion is that protection against natural hazards may not be limited any longer to the protection of individual values within some limited scopes of responsibility against certain kinds of hazards. "
