And Swiss glaciers continue to melt
Glacial melting in Switzerland was once again enormous in 2025. A winter with low snow depth combined with heat waves in June and August led to a loss of three per cent of the glacier volume. This is the fourth largest level of shrinkage since measurements began. Consequently, the ice mass reduced by one quarter in the last ten years. This was reported by GLAMOS, the glacier monitoring network in Switzerland, and the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere observation (SCC) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences.
Immagine: Matthias HussEurope’s environment and climate: knowledge for resilience, prosperity and sustainability
Significant progress has been made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, but the overall state of Europe’s environment is not good, especially its nature which continues to face degradation, overexploitation and biodiversity loss. The impacts of accelerating climate change are also an urgent challenge, according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) most comprehensive, ‘state of environment’ report, published 29 September. The outlook for most environmental trends is concerning and poses major risks to Europe’s economic prosperity, security and quality of life.
Immagine: EEAState of Global Water Resources 2024
The 2024 edition of the State of Global Water Resources report published by the World Meteorological Organization documents an extraordinary year shaped by record heat, climate extremes, and widespread water-related impacts. With global surface temperatures reaching 1.55 °C above pre-industrial levels, 2024 was the hottest year in the 175-year observational record. Strong El Niño conditions at the start of the year amplified drought in South America and southern Africa, while other regions faced devastating floods.
Immagine: WMO
Neues Buch: «Alpine Ökosysteme im Schweizerischen Nationalpark – Die Seenplatte Macun»
Seit der Eingliederung in den Schweizerischen Nationalpark (SNP) im Jahr 2000 ist die Seenplatte Macun vor menschlichen Eingriffen geschützt. Deren vielfältige Gewässer, mächtige Blockgletscher und aussergewöhnlichen geologischen Formationen dienen als Freiluftlabor mit idealen Bedingungen. Das neue Buch «Alpine Ökosysteme im Schweizerischen Nationalpark – Die Seenplatte Macun» beleuchtet die Geschichte und wissenschaftliche Bedeutung des einzigartigen Gebiets.
Immagine: SNP/Hans Lozza, 2012
Less water in summer, more in winter
Climate change is altering air temperature and precipitation patterns in Switzerland, thereby impairing the recharge and quality of groundwater. A mix of measures is needed to ensure the sustainable use of groundwater as a resource. Good forecasts enable timely action and support investment decisions.
Immagine: eawag
The Voices of Glaciers: A Human Chronicle of Ice, Loss, and Resilience
In the tropics, glaciers are melting at an alarming rate – transforming landscapes, disrupting lives, and erasing cultural memory. The Voices of Glaciers is a powerful new book funded with the support of the MRI that shares the personal reflections of 35 individuals – from Indigenous elders to scientists – who are witnessing this change firsthand.
Immagine: Todd Antony