Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Glaciers in Austria have shrunk by an average of about 20 metres during the observation period of 2024 and 2025, the Austrian Alpine Club reported.
The shrinking of length, area and volume is happening in almost all of the 96 areas that scientists studied. “We need to get ready for a future where the Alps may not have any glaciers,” said Nicole Slupetzky, the vice-president of the Alpine Club.
When areas lose their ice, the risk of rockfalls and landslides increases.
Glaciers are freshwater reservoirs that play an important role in water supply through their meltwater.
The weather during the study was reportedly unfavourable for the glaciers. A snow-poor and warm winter was followed by an exceptionally warm early summer. A precipitation deficit of 24.5 per cent was recorded, according to the Alpine Club.
This glacier shrinking has been happening for 20 years.
