The Alps are experiencing the impacts of global warming. The country at risk of losing all its glaciers in 45 years
Austria could lose all its glaciers in 45 years, warned its Alpine Club on April 5th, as two of the country's glaciers shrank by over 100 meters last year, according to AFP.
There is global concern about the impact of global warming on the planet's glaciers, and the most recent report from Austria's Alpine Club (OeAV) reveals a dramatic retreat of glaciers in this country over the past seven years.
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The study shows that 93 Austrian glaciers observed by the organization retreated on average by 23.9 meters last year, the third-largest glacier melt since measurements began in 1891.
2022 was the worst year for glacier melting in Austria, with an average retreat of 28.7 meters.
Faced with extreme warming in the Alps, glaciers could practically disappear in 45 years, warns the Alpine Club, for whom climate protection measures have been taken too late.
"In 40-45 years, practically the entire Austria will be devoid of glaciers", said Andreas Kellerer-Pirklbauer, head of the glacier measurement service at the Alpine Club, on April 5th.
In 2017, Austrian glaciers melted on average by 25.2 meters, the second-largest melt ever recorded, according to the Alpine Club.
Last year, two of the country's glaciers shrank by over 100 meters: Pasterze lost 203.5 meters, and Retenbachferner lost 127 meters.
OeAV has called for better protection of glaciers, emphasizing that biodiversity in Alpine regions is under constant stress due to the construction of new ski lifts and the concentration of ski resorts.
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the world's major glaciers are facing unprecedented melting since measurements began in the 1950s, a situation that has become "extreme" in western North America and Europe.
In Switzerland, Alpine glaciers have lost 10% of their volume in just the past two years.
