Swiss glaciers shrank by a quarter over the past decade: study

October 01, 2025 / 12:31 PM

Sharjah24-AFP: Switzerland’s glaciers have lost 25% of their volume in the past decade due to climate change, with 2025 marking one of the largest annual melts on record. GLAMOS warns that without urgent action, most Swiss glaciers could vanish by the end of the century, threatening water reserves and mountain stability.

Swiss glaciers shrink by a quarter

Switzerland's glaciers, heavily affected by climate change, have lost a quarter of their volume over the past decade, raising concerns about rapid melting. According to the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS) network, 2025 experienced significant glacial melt, nearing records set in 2022. A combination of limited winter snowfall and summer heatwaves led to a 3% decrease in glacier volume, marking the fourth-largest shrinkage recorded since monitoring began.

Two decades of ice loss

GLAMOS chief Matthias Huss stated that all Swiss glaciers have been losing ice for over 20 years, experiencing a 24% reduction in volume between 2015 and 2025. The Alpine region is warming at twice the global average. While glaciers in neighbouring Austria are also retreating, Swiss glaciers may have a marginally better chance of survival due to their higher altitudes. Nonetheless, without significant action to combat climate change, these glaciers could almost disappear by the end of this century.

Disappearing glaciers and water challenges

Since the 1970s, more than 1,100 Swiss glaciers have disappeared, and Huss noted that the Rhone Glacier has lost over 100 metres (330 feet) in height in the last 20 years. Water reserves are shrinking, presenting challenges during the summer months and potentially affecting water availability that reaches the Mediterranean Sea. The loss of glaciers also leads to mountain destabilisation, as seen in the destruction of the Swiss village of Blatten due to a glacier collapse.

Record melting and volume decline

GLAMOS estimates that Switzerland’s glacier volume will reach about 45.1 cubic kilometres (10.8 cubic miles) by the end of this year, a decrease of 30 cubic kilometres since 2000. The surface area of glaciers has shrunk by 30 per cent over the past 25 years. This year, Switzerland experienced its second-hottest June on record, which accelerated snowmelt. Although a cooler July offered some temporary relief, the overall summer melt was still 15 per cent above the 2010-2020 average, the lowest level recorded in four years.