Nitrogen load exported

SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

SDG description
«The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind. […] Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future.»

Swiss target 14.1: Nitrogen inputs from air and water will be reduced

Significance of the indicator
The indicator shows the total nitrogen load in the Rhine at Basel, in thousands of tonnes per year. Nutrients such as nitrogen that are discharged into the water by human activities, particularly agriculture, contribute to eutrophication of waterways.  The effects of these inputs are not only felt locally: nitrogen transported by rivers also contributes to pollution of seas and oceans. In the interests of sustainable development, the exported nitrogen load, i.e. Switzerland’s environmental impact abroad, needs to be reduced.

Help for interpretation
The indicator does not provide information on the nitrogen load in the air.

Annual variations are caused by weather conditions and in particular precipitation patterns. A large majority of Swiss territory (67%) drains into the Rhine, which empties into the North Sea. The total nitrogen load measured in the Rhine at Basel is partially influenced by other countries with territory in the Rhine basin (Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein).

International comparability
This indicator cannot be compared at international level.