Snowy Alps will be a distant memory unless we act fast | Italy

It has been almost four months since any rain fell on the Piedmont region in the Italian Alps. This is due to a winter that saw snowfall only one-third of its normal level. The meagre snowmelt and lack of rain have reduced the River Po’s flow to a trickle. This is the worst drought in the region in 70 years. But it is a situation that will likely become more common in the future.

A study found that snow days (days when snow falls on the ground) in the Alps will drop by half by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are high. Mountains at 2,500 metres will lose 76 days – nearly three months – of snow days, while at lower altitudes snow days will almost disappear, with an average of just five snow days a year at 500 metres. The southern Alps are most affected, with serious implications for water supply downstream.

The study, published in Hydrology & Earth System Sciences, also showed that rapid emission cuts, in line with the Paris Agreement, would save more than 80% snow days in the Alps. The current crisis in Italy’s Alps, where ships cannot navigate the river and water has to be hauled in, is a clear signal to take action.