Swiss glaciers lose 20% of ice volume over past 5 years

A group of researchers monitoring glaciers in Switzerland has warned that ice loss has accelerated at an alarming rate over the past five years.

Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, or GLAMOS, released a report on Thursday based on data collected at more than 20 glaciers across the country. GLAMOS mainly consists of scientists from local universities.

The report found that almost 20 percent of ice volume in Switzerland has been lost since 2021.

It also found the ice volume shrank by 5.5 percent over a 12-month period beginning last October, marking the second biggest annual loss. The report called this year's results "an extraordinary ice loss."

The report cited very little snow in the winter and long-lasting, intense summer heatwaves as reasons for the loss.

The report expressed concern that accelerating ice loss could affect water supplies in the long term.

The head of GLAMOS, Matthias Huss, said, "We are seeing extreme years almost every year now and this is really a worrying situation."

Citing the report, British public broadcaster BBC said the loss of glaciers can destabilize mountain slopes and increase the risk of landslides. It also reported that scientists say glacier thinning can lead to massive flash flooding as was seen in the Nepal-China border region in August.