How climate change is forcing Italy & Switzerland to redraw national borders

The frontier between the two countries is being redefined beneath the iconic Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest peaks that has long attracted Alpinists and mountaineers. Switzerland and Italy have agreed to changes along the landmarks of Plateau Rosa, the Carrel refuge, and the Gobba di Rollin. This is where the Zermatt region of Switzerland meets the Aosta valley of Italy. The region is home to several ski resorts that fuel the economy of both countries.

In 2023, Italy and Switzerland had set up a commission to study climate impacts on glaciers and their subsequent effect on the border. It is this commission that recommended the new borders to be redrawn May last year. On Friday (September 27), Switzerland signed the agreement for the new border. Italy is yet to give its official approval, though this is expected to take place soon.

Record melting in Europe

Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, and climate risks are impacting its energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, economic stability and public health. According to the European Environment Agency, extreme heat, drought, wildfires and flooding will worsen in Europe even under optimistic global warming scenarios, and affect living conditions throughout the continent.

The modification of the border between Italy and Switzerland has directed renewed attention to the impact of climate change on glaciers worldwide.

“There have been several record melt events in a row in the last decades and years. Glaciers have lost an incredible amount of ice just in the 21st century and many large glacier tongues are decaying, and small glaciers are disappearing,” Dr Matthias Huss, Director of a glacier-monitoring organisation, Glamos, and Lecturer at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, Zürich, told The Indian Express.

In 2024, Swiss glaciers recorded “melting of a striking degree”, with the greatest loss of ice since measurements began happening in August, according to a paper released by the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences on October 1.

Huss added that other countries, globally, might also have to rethink their natural landmarks soon. “The problem concerns all mountain ranges worldwide. The landscape in the summit regions changes, which has an impact on the appearance of mountains, its symbolic significance and natural hazards, such as floods and avalanches,” Huss said.

A Himalayan crisis

Closer home, the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is also experiencing unprecedented glacier melt due to rising global temperatures. This poses severe threats to water security, livelihoods, and ecosystems.

According to the HI-WISE report, glacier mass loss increased by around 65% in the 2010s compared to the previous decade. “Projections suggest that even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degree C, the HKH could lose up to 36% of its glacier volume by 2100, and with a 2 degree C rise, this could increase to 50%. This accelerated retreat not only increases the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) but also threatens critical water flow, which will have more impact in upstream parts of the river basins and in more melt water-dependent river basins, such as Indus and Amu Darya,” Dr Arun Bhakta Shrestha, a Senior Climate Change Specialist and Strategic Group Lead for Reducing Climate and Environmental Risks at ICIMOD, told The Indian Express.

ICIMOD works in the HKH, where ridgelines connecting mountain peaks commonly serve as international borders. “It remains unclear how much of these ridgelines are covered by glaciers or perennial snow. It is recommended that topographic survey authorities in HKH countries assess the current situation, and that governments initiate discussions on how to address potential border shifts, should circumstances similar to those in the Alps arise in the HKH region,” Shrestha said.