The Impact of Climate Change in the Alps


I chose to analyse in specifics the climate changes experienced in my home region, the Alps. This region encompasses the highest and most extensive mountain range in Europe along a 1,200 km range which touches seven different European countries. The whole range includes 128 mountains higher than 4,000 meters among which Mont Blanc which with its 4,809 m peak is regarded as the highest mountain.

The Alps are particularly well known for their recurrent present glaciers, which are also to be thanked for moulding the several valleys which we see now today (of the them, my home town) and creating with them the many lakes also decorating the landscape of the region.
Unfortunately, this iconic feature has also been the most visibly affected by climate change. The cryosphere (glaciers, snow, permafrost) and related changes of Alpine hydrology/water cycle have been exponentially visible in the last 50 years (W. Schöner, 2016).
You can see in the picture below the incredible and horrific change of the Glaciers Ferpècle and Mont Miné.


The Alpine climate, its spatio-temporal variability and long- term changes as well as its influence on various natural and socio-economic sectors have been of high scientific interest for a long time (Gobiet, Andreas (09/2014). "21st century climate change in the European Alps—A review". The Science of the total environment (0048-9697), 493 , p. 1138).

The conservative expectation in the next 100 years is that the warming of the Alpine region will double with an increase in extreme precipitations, avalanches and decrease in snowfall with melting glaciers. Important also to consider, that the Alps provide 40% of continental Europe's fresh water, therefore climate change could severely impact the drinking water supplies. 
With regards to the autochthonous Alpine flora, European plant species might have shifted hundreds of kilometres northwards by the late-21st century and 60 % of mountain plant species may face extinction (EEA Report, March 2020).

The shocking development is how fast this change has unfolded in the last 20 years. 
Mountains always change slow, they have a beauty for patience and wisdom in each and every small step they make towards a new facade. This has not happened recently, when the increase of melting glaciers, avalanches, decrease in snowfall, intense heavy rains and unbearable summers have been overwhelming the local population as well as its tourism, the biggest economic sector.



There is several articles in the news discussing the future of Alpine tourism. One in particular by the BBC discusses the development of adventure tourism in the face of climate change, which can include in the Alps glacier climbing, paragliding, rafting... (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-62850313). This leaves me quite amused. Although I'm not clearly denying the impact climate change had/has and will have on the conditions of active tourism, already impacting heavily the skiing season and this economic sector (possibly also permanently in the future). I believe there is a big misconception on how adventure and active tourism need to take place.
Many visitors to these mountains come unprepared, uneducated and unaware of the climate change impact our land is having, already with the idyllic vision in mind of the exciting Alpine adventure. They go on their trail without the appropriate equipment and the correct knowledge to which land is still secure to wander or not.
The impact of climate change in the Alps is strongly visible and palpable, therefore I'm glad the newspapers are spotting the light on the issue. However, I believe they should also actively start to spread awareness to how tourism must evolve with these developments and possibly investigate and promote a different kind of tourism for this region.

References:

https://www.euromontana.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Schoener_Climate-change-Alps.pdf

https://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2010/alps#:~:text=Climate%20change%20is%20affecting%20the,as%20traditional%20routes%20become%20unsafe.

Gobiet, Andreas (09/2014). "21st century climate change in the European Alps—A review". The Science of the total environment (0048-9697), 493 , p. 1138

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/07/freezing-points-swiss-alpine-summits-climate-change/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/29/how-climate-change-is-melting-the-alps-glaciers-in-pictures

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-62850313



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