Swiss glaciers suffer 'disastrous' year of ice loss, threatening water supplies
10 hours ago
- Swiss glaciers lost more than 5% of remaining ice in 2026, a near-record loss.
- Intense summer heatwaves caused rapid melting, threatening water supplies for farming, hydropower, and transport.
- Glacier melting destabilizes slopes and increases landslide risk, as seen in Nepal.
- The pace of melting is extraordinary: 5.5% loss this year compared to 2% considered extreme previously.
- Glaciers started with less snow after a mild winter; early heatwaves exposed bare ice, which absorbs more solar energy.
- Meltwater released 2.2 trillion liters between July and September, but this is unsustainable and risks future water shortages.
- Even at 3,500 meters elevation, no snow remained by summer's end; glaciers are losing mass at their highest points.
- The climate is now too warm for many Alpine glaciers to survive, though sharp cuts in carbon emissions could still save much of the world's ice.
- Protecting glaciers in the Himalayas and polar regions could limit sea level rise affecting billions of coastal people.