Switzerland, Italy adjust border as glaciers melt due to climate change

Switzerland and Italy have been forced to redraw parts of their Alpine border due to the rapid melting of glaciers—a striking example of climate change’s impact on Europe’s natural boundaries. The changing geography, driven by the retreat of glaciers, has altered the ridgelines that traditionally defined the border between the two nations, including areas near the iconic Matterhorn.

The border adjustment, which has already been approved by Switzerland, is set to affect regions around Plateau Rosa, the Carrel refuge, and Gobba di Rollin—popular spots near ski resorts like Zermatt. Italy has yet to ratify the agreement, but both nations are moving forward with plans to clarify the new territorial lines. Officials from Switzerland have emphasized that the redrawn borders were negotiated with “the economic interests of both parties” in mind.

This border revision is a direct consequence of the shrinking Alpine glaciers, which have been losing mass at an alarming rate due to consecutive hot summers and winters with unusually low snowfall. In 2023 alone, Swiss glaciers lost 4% of their total volume, following a record 6% loss in 2022. These figures, reported by the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos), reflect a trend that shows no signs of slowing.

As glaciers melt, they not only reshape the landscape but also reveal pieces of history long frozen beneath the ice. In recent years, human remains and artifacts have emerged from the thawing glaciers. Last July, climbers near the Matterhorn stumbled upon hiking gear that led to the identification of a German climber who had been missing since 1986. And in 2022, wreckage from a plane that crashed in 1968 reappeared from the depths of the Aletsch glacier, a stark reminder of how quickly the ice is receding.

The border shift marks a rare instance where nations have had to modify territorial lines due to environmental changes. While the agreement is practical in ensuring that both countries know which areas they are responsible for managing, it underscores the broader concern that many glaciers may not survive long enough to be preserved for future generations.

Glamos has warned that without significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, larger glaciers like the Aletsch—though not part of the current border shift—could vanish within a generation. Even if global temperatures were kept within the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement, some glaciers are already on an irreversible course of disappearance.

As the ice continues to melt and the Alps transform before our eyes, these border adjustments serve as a powerful symbol of how deeply climate change is reshaping the world, from the peaks of the Matterhorn to the borders that once seemed set in stone.