The Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL focusses on forestry, landscape and natural hazards, bridging from fundamental to applied research. The Institute is directly involved with stakeholders in administration and politics, and advises on natural hazard prevention and mitigation.

WSL runs several observatories on natural hazard processes and has designed, operates and maintains early warning systems throughout Switzerland. Key infrastructure with world-leading measurement system for sediment transport research is located in central Switzerland (www.wsl.ch/alptal), and for debris flows, including seismic monitoring, in southern Switzerland.