Climate Change Forces Redraw of Swiss, Italian Borders

Think of Switzerland, and you might picture snow-covered mountains and trails perfect for cross-country skiing. Much of that wintry landscape is a result of glaciers. But climate change is melting those glaciers. As it does, the country's vistas are changing. So are its borders.

“(Major) sections of the border are defined by the watershed or the ridge lines of glaciers ...” Swiss government officials wrote Friday in a statement. “These (structures) are changing due to the melting of glaciers.”

The Swiss Alps run along much of Switzerland’s southern and Italy’s northern border. When its glaciers melt, the geography of the country’s borders changes. That affects industries in the region. Ski resorts and farms see rivers swell with meltwaters. Fields once covered by ice are revealed.  

Switzerland approved redrawn borders this month. The new borders are close to many landmarks. The region is in the shadow of the famed Matterhorn peak. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. 

Scorching summers and warmer winters over the past two years have shrunk Switzerland’s glaciers by about 10%, said the European Union’s Copernicus Weather Service. The Paris Climate Accords set a goal of keeping global warming beneath the benchmark of 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. The Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network told the BBC that, even if global warming is kept beneath the benchmark, many of its glaciers are still likely to vanish by 2050.

Reflect: How do you think changes in the environment can affect the way people live and the activities they enjoy in their communities?

Gif of the Matterhorn peak from GIPHY.