Way up in the snowy Alps, it’s not just the ski season that’s being affected by climate change.
In fact, Swiss and Italian authorities have had to redraw a section of their 359-mile border.
The problem is due to melting glaciers, which are changing where the tallest part of the border is – traditionally where the borderline has been drawn.
The relevant section of border runs beneath the Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest mountains, known for its rough pyramid shape.
Here, temperatures are rising at about 0.54°F (0.3°C) per decade – about twice as fast as the global average.
Along the border, there are glaciers – accumulations of ice and snow that slowly flow over high, jagged peaks of land. The borderline runs along a drainage divide – the point at which meltwater will run down either side of the mountain towards one country or another. But due to Europe’s melting glaciers, the location of this draining divide has shifted
The relevant section of border runs beneath the Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest mountains (pictured)
‘Significant sections of the border are defined by the watershed or the ridge lines of glaciers, firn or perpetual snow,’ the Swiss government said in a statement.
‘These formations are changing due to the melting of glaciers.’
The border between Switzerland and Italy measures about 359 miles (578km) – around 25 miles (40km) of which is covered by glaciers.
According to reports, the section being redrawn is 328 feet (100 metres) and sits beneath Matterhorn, the stunning pyramidal peak and one of Europe’s highest mountains.
Along this part of the border, there are glaciers – accumulations of ice and snow that slowly flow over high, jagged peaks of land.
The borderline runs along a drainage divide – the point at which meltwater will run down either side of the mountain towards one country or another.
But due to Europe’s melting glaciers from higher temperatures, the location of this draining divide has shifted – so the official borderline has to move as well.
Officials said the adjustment has been made along the Plateau Rosa, the Carrel refuge and the Gobba di Rollin, which are near the Matterhorn.
Diplomatic negotiations ended with an agreement to shift this section of the border – but for now many of the specific details remain secret
The border between Switzerland and Italy measures about 359 miles (578km) – around 25 miles (40km) of which is covered by glaciers
Several popular ski resorts in Switzerland and Italy sit near the area – which may have implications for mountain lodges and other refuges.
For example, there are concerns more glacier drainage will sweep towards the businesses, which could have safety implications.
The two nations have been aware of the issue for years but only in 2023 did a joint Italian-Swiss commission agree to the redraw.
Switzerland officially approved the change on Friday, although Italy is yet to do the same.
While it’s unclear by how much distance the border will move, or whether it will move towards Switzerland or Italy, more details will emerge once both nations have signed the agreement.
Switzerland’s glaciers shed 2.4 per cent of their volume over the past year, with sand blown in from the Sahara accelerating the summer melt. Pictured, Gletsch in the Swiss Alps, September 30, 2024
This is not the first time the Italian-Swiss border has been amended.
In 2000, in Furggsattel, Zermatt, the border was also rewritten, after a glacier moved somewhere between 328 to 492 feet (100 to 150 metres), Sky News reports.
The change meant that a chairlift station that had once been in Italy was now in Switzerland.
In the Alps, glaciers have lost 10 per cent of their remaining volume over the past two years, according to the European Union’s Copernicus service.
Glaciers will lose half their ice by 2050 even if the planet warms less than 2°C compared with pre-industrial levels, found a recent study published in European Geosciences Union.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
