Why are Italy and Switzerland moving the border between the two countries in the Alps?

Switzerland and Italy have modified their mountain borders below the Matterhorn, as climate change in the Alps has led to the melting of glaciers that have historically marked the border between the two countries.

“Large parts of the border are defined by watersheds or glacier crests, after all [tipo de neve] On Friday (27), the Swiss government said in a statement: “Or permanent snow.” “These formations are changing due to the melting of glaciers.”

Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, and the impact is most felt in areas such as the Alps, where glaciers have lost 10% of their remaining volume in the past two years, according to the European Meteorological Service Copernicus. Glaciers will lose half their ice by 2050, even if the planet warms by less than 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, according to a study published in the European Union Journal of Geosciences.

As glaciers shrink, familiar mountain routes change, and in a worst-case scenario, the ice can suddenly collapse. In July 2022, the day after temperatures were recorded above 10 degrees at Marmolada Peak in the Italian Dolomites, a block of ice broke off from the mountain’s glacier and killed 11 climbers.

The area affected by the border changes is the famous ski resort of Zermatt, where hikers and skiers can freely cross between Switzerland and the Italian Valturnenche Valley. The two countries agreed to adapt the boundaries around the features of the Testa Griggia, the Rosa Plateau, the Rifugio Carrel and the Juba di Rollin based on their economic interests.

Switzerland approved a border adjustment treaty on Friday, while Italy has yet to formally sign the changes.

Zermatt Station, located around the summit of the Matterhorn, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each season, with visitors spending a total of 2.7 million nights there last year. More than half of the guests came from outside Switzerland.

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