ZHAW Sabbatical – Dr. Manuel Antonetti

River restoration in Switzerland

The case study of the Sarine river October 19, 2022

We were excited to welcome and present our next #Sabbatical talk event from ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences as the new Consulate of Switzerland, Swissnex in Japan. Dr. Manuel Antonetti, working at the ZHAW Institute of Natural Resources Sciences, provided an outline of his research about river restoration and his case study of the Sarine River. Hydropower is a sustainable and clean energy resource, however, we also need to consider about its impact on the river ecology. One possible way to restore the river ecology is through “artificial floods”. Through the constant monitoring of the river habitat by UAV remote sensing on a drone, the research group finds out artificial floods' long-term positive effect on the river environment. They are now working on accurate prediction of the effect of artificial floods and 3D visualization of river and landscape changes for decision-making.