Glaciers in Austria have shrunk by an average of about 20 metres from 2024 to 2025, the Austrian Alpine Club reported.
This shrinking 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, there is a higher risk of rockfalls and landslides.
These glaciers have been shrinking for 20 years. Glaciers are an important source of freshwater.
The weather during the study was not good for the glaciers. After a warm winter with little snow, there was a warm early summer. There was also a 24.5 per cent reduction in precipitation, which includes rain and snow.
