Climate change in Alps to leave Europe high and dry
Picturesque views of the snow-covered Alps may soon be relegated to picture books due to increasing climate change, a new European environmental report says. And it’s not just skiers and tourism officials who are getting nervous about the fate of the continent’s famous mountains. Temperatures in the Alps are increasing at a rate more than twice the global average, according to a recent report by the European Environment Agency, “Regional climate change and adaptation: The Alps facing the challenge of changing water resources.” The change has serious ramifications not only for the alpine climate itself, but also for the broad swath of Europe that relies on the water these “cherished but endangered mountains” collect and deliver. As the changing global climate affects precipitation and snow-cover patterns in the Alps, it also impacts the amount of water these “water towers of Europe” can provide to millions of people in lowland areas. The vulnerable region is home to most of the headwaters of major rivers, including the Danube, Rhine, Po, and Rhone, and its glaciers provide 40 percent of Europe’s fresh water. …
