How melting glaciers are forcing Switzerland, Italy to redraw borders

Switzerland and Italy have been forced to redraw their borders.

The countries have agreed to make alterations to the measurements of the Matterhorn mountain which straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy.

The cause of the development? Climate change and the melting glaciers in the region which are essentially changing the frontiers.

While Switzerland signed off on the change on Friday, the treaty is awaiting final approval in Italy.

 Let’s take a closer look:

Why is this happening?

First, let’s take a brief look at the border.

Switzerland, a land-locked nation, shares a 1,935-kilometre border with Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Liechtenstein.

According to Sky News, the border between Italy and Switzerland traverses the peaks.

However, melting glaciers have changed the frontier because the border itself is defined by the ridge-lines of glaciers – which change as they shrink.

As per Bloomberg, Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent.

The impact of climate change is being felt most acutely in areas such as the Alps.

Glaciers in the region have shrunk by 10 per cent in the past two years alone.

BBC quoted data as showing that Switzerland’s glaciers alone shrank four per cent in 2023.

That record was only surpassed in 2022 when they shrank six per cent.

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“Significant sections of the border are defined by the watershed or ridge lines of glaciers, firn or perpetual snow,” the Swiss government was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. “These formations are changing due to the melting of glaciers.”

As per Euro News, the Theodul Glacier itself has shrunk nearly 25 per cent between 1973 and 2010

“Swiss glaciers are melting faster and faster,” the Swiss Academy of Sciences said, as per Euro News.

“The acceleration is dramatic: we have lost as much ice in two years as between 1960 and 1990.”

The outlet quoted a study as showing that glaciers are set lose 50 per cent of their ice by 2020.

This, even if the Earth warms less than 2 degrees Centigrade from pre-industrial levels.

 BBC quoted experts warning that larger glaciers like the Aletsch could vanish in a generation.

In Italy, experts warned that the Marmolada glacier could disappear by 2040, as per The Guardian.

 The glacier has been called a ‘natural thermometer’ of climate change.

The world last year saw its hottest summer ever since records began being kept.

 Which area is affected?

The Zermatt ski resort has been affected.

This is the famous place where hikers and skiers can cross between Switzerland and Italy.

The Zermatt resort sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year – more than half of whom come from outside Switzerland.

Last year, visitors spent a total of 2.7 million nights there.

The two countries agreed to change the frontier around the landmarks of Testa Grigia, Plateau Rosa, Rifugio Carrel and Gobba di Rollin in keeping with their economic interests.

As per Euro News, the exact changes to the border will be notified once both countries have signed off.

Though Italy is yet to give its okay, only Switzerland technically needs to give the nod to the “minor border rectification.”

Changes to the border are usually carried out by surveyors – with politicians often being left out of the loop.

 With inputs from agencies