If you have a political map of Europe at home, it will probably soon become obsolete. Switzerland and Italy are about to redraw part of their Alpine border below the Matterhorn, one of the mountain range’s most popular peaks. What is most intriguing is that they will not do this for a geopolitical or economic reason, or based on some old agreement between the kingdoms, such as the one used by the Portuguese to demand a change to the ‘Strip’ when passing through Extremadura. No. In the case of Switzerland and Italy, the border between the two countries will be redrawn due to a practical problem beyond the control of Bern and Rome: global warming.

Simply put, the Alps that researchers at the time relied on to draw the border are not the Alps that exist today.

Where is my limit? This question may seem strange, especially in the heart of the Old Continent, but it makes perfect sense if we talk about the border between Italy and Switzerland in the Alps, which was once drawn with reference to glaciers, watersheds, ridges and mountains. permanent profits.

In fact, a few years ago, a mountain hut near the summit of Testa Grigia made news because changes in the orography of the area raised doubts as to which country it belonged to, Italy or Switzerland. It was an Italian building when it was built in 1984 and therefore its menus were still written in Italian and its prices were calculated in euros in 2022. The problem is that, forty years after its construction, there are now estimated to be two. One third of the hostel is on Swiss territory.

Why this? Because the glaciers of the mountain range changed and the references used to draw the border at that time, such as chalk and permanent snow, became blurred. “As the glaciers melt, these natural elements are also changing and redefining national borders,” says the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (Swisstopo). they say, and also reminds us that large ice masses “are taken as a guide to delineate important parts of glaciers.” border with Italy”.

The problem is simple. As glaciers melt and their physiognomy changes, so do the drainage divides and ridges used to define the borders between both countries. The small mountain hut near Testa Grigia offers a great example. In their case, the retreat of the Theodul glacier affected the hydrographic basin, causing much of their territory to theoretically be located in southern Switzerland.

From topography to politics. This challenge is not new. Italy and Switzerland have long been aware of the problem, and more than a year ago, in May 2023, both countries agreed on “a draft agreement” for the correction of the border separating them and adjusting this border according to “economic interests”. two nations.

The Swiss Government assures that they and their Italian counterparts share the desire to rectify the borders in the Testa Grigia, Plateau Rosa, Rifugio Carrely and Gobba di Rollin region. Among other things, the agreement is important in terms of being in a region with ski resorts such as Zermatt.

Details not yet announced. We will have to wait to know exactly the changes and how they will change the Alpine border. At least that’s what the Swiss Government said a few days ago. The Federal Council has already approved the signing of an agreement to “rectify” the border with the neighboring country, but the agreement will not be announced until procedures are completed on the Italian side.

“Since this is a minor border adjustment, the Federal Council [de Suiza] is authorized to conclude the contract himself. Therefore, according to the detail of the Swiss authorities, he approved the signing of the agreement on the correction of the border. The process of approving the signing of the agreement continues in Italy. “Once both parties do this, the agreement will be published and the correction process will begin.”

basic problem. If the agreement between Italy and Switzerland has become international news beyond both countries, it is not because of how much it will change the border between the two countries, but because of what it tells us about global warming. At the end of the day, there’s a clear reason to study: changes in glaciers. Clear changes made in a short time. The latest data cited by the BBC shows Swiss glaciers losing 4% of their volume in 2023; This was the second largest loss recorded after 2022, when a record meltdown of 6% was recorded.

The statement of the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos) is clear: Their report attributes the ice loss to successive hot summers and the lack of snowfall in the winter of 2022. The organization is already warning that some Swiss glaciers are shrinking for this reason. So fast that it will be difficult to save them even if the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 percent target is met.

The footprint of climate change. For example, the Theodul glacier is estimated to have lost about a quarter of its mass between 1973 and 2010; According to EuroNews, this exposed rocks that had until then been buried under the ice sheet, changing the boundaries of the waters and causing the boundaries of the waters to be redefined. limit of about a hundred meters and affected the famous climbers’ refuge in the Alps.

Since then, Europe has recorded its hottest summer in history, and snow loss has already affected ski resorts due to lack of snow, shortening their seasons or closing their doors permanently.

Pictures | Björn S. (Flickr) and Justin Clements (Flickr)

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