The Alpine border between Switzerland and Italy runs under the Matterhorn, one of the highest peaks in Europe, stretching between the Swiss region of Zermatt and Italy's Aosta Valley.
Climate change: "Glaciers are retreating at an accelerated pace"
"Glaciers in Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, are retreating at an accelerated pace due to climate change caused by human activity," according to the UK's *The Guardian*. Both countries agreed to modify the border around key landmarks like Testa Grigia, Plateau Rosa, Rifugio Carrel, and Gobba di Rollin due to their "economic interests." A joint Swiss-Italian commission reached an agreement to adjust the border back in May 2023. Switzerland officially ratified the treaty last Friday, and it still requires signatures from Italian representatives. The changes come after a long-standing dispute between the two nations over the area near the summit of the Matterhorn.
Glaciers are losing volume at a record pace
Swiss glaciers lost 4% of their volume in 2023. According to the Swiss Academy of Sciences, this is the second-largest annual loss on record, with the biggest occurring in 2022 at 6%. Experts have stopped measuring ice in some areas of Swiss glaciers because there is simply no ice left. In July of last year, the melting ice revealed the remains of a German mountaineer who had gone missing 40 years ago while crossing a glacier near the Matterhorn.
