Melting glaciers cause Swiss-Italian border to be redrawn

Switzerland and Italy have redrawn a part of their shared border in the alps due to melting glaciers. The melting was as a result of climate change.

Parts of affected areas will be underneath the Matterhorn, one of the tallest mountains in Europe. It is close to a number of popular ski resorts. Large sections of the border are determined by glacier ridgelines or areas with perpetual snow. But melting glaciers have caused these natural borders to shirt and this has led to both countries seeking a solution to their border.

The Swiss government has officially approved the agreement on the change while Italy has yet to follow suit. This comes after a draft agreement by a joint Swiss-Italian commission in May 2023.

Statistics published in September last year showed that Switzerland glaciers have lost 4% of their volume in 2023. This is the country’s second biggest ever loss after a record of 6% in 2022.

The Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos) publishes an annual report every year. It has attributed the loss to consecutive warm summers and very low snowfall in the winter of 2022. Researchers believe that if such trends continue, they will accelerate the melting in the future.

The redefined borders, the government of Switzerland has said, were drawn up in accordance with the economic interests of both nations. Clarifying the borders, it is thought, would help both Switzerland and Italy determine who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of certain natural areas.  

The boundaries will be changed in the region of Plateau Rosa, the Carrel refuge, and Gobba di Rollin. All of these are near the Matterhorn and popular ski resorts such as Zermatt.

Once both countries have agreed and signed it, the exact border change will come into effect. The approval process is underway in Italy, Switzerland has said.