Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent and the impact on its glaciers has been stark. And in Switzerland, they are melting at an alarming rate.
“In 2024, glaciers continued to lose ice at a high speed despite much snow in winter that was expected to bring some relief”, he told CNN. “Some glaciers are literally falling apart, small glaciers are disappearing”.
Even with the most ambitious climate action, up to half the world’s glaciers may be gone by 2100. It’s causing a cascade of impacts.
It makes the landscape more unstable, prone to dangerous landslides and collapses. In 2022, eleven people lost their lives when a glacier collapsed in the Italian Alps. Not only that but as glaciers recede, they are also losing their vital role in contributing freshwater, which could aggravate shortages during heat waves.
Another impact is the shifting of national borders. While national boundaries are often thought of as fixed, large sections of the Swiss-Italian border are defined by glaciers and snow fields. “With the melting of the glaciers, these natural elements evolve and redefine the national border”, the Swiss government said in a statement Friday.
The section of the border under the iconic Matterhorn Peak, one of the highest summits in the Alps which straddles between Italy and Switzerland, is set to be redrawn as the glaciers that mark the boundary melt.
The border changes were agreed back in 2023 and the Swiss government officially approved the adjustment on Friday. The process for approval is underway in Italy. As soon as both parties have signed, the agreement will be published and details of the new border made public, according to the Swiss government.
The Champions League match between Liverpool and Bologna yesterday saw the former beat the Italian side 2-0.
In the twelfth minute, Alexis Mac Allister converted from close range following Mohamed Salah's excellent low cross from the right side. And the Reds sealed the win in style with Salah's 49th Champions League goal, cutting in on to his left foot and curling a wonderful shot into the top corner in the seventy-fifth minute.
Liverpool still have six more matches to come in the league phase, including home matches against German champions Bayer Leverkusen, managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, and 15-time European champions Real Madrid.
But they have made a good start to the competition and are fifth in the 36-team table, already in a strong position to push for automatic qualification to the last 16.
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