VIENNA (AP) 鈥� All but two of Austria鈥檚 96 glaciers have retreated over the last two years, monitors in the Alpine country reported Friday, saying the 鈥渄ramatic development鈥� highlights the impact of climate change.
The latest report from the Austrian Alpine Club shows the Alpeiner Ferner in the western Tyrol region and Stubacher Sonnblickkees in Salzburg to the east are facing the greatest loss, each with a retreat of more than 100 meters (about 330 feet). The average retreat was more than 20 meters (65 feet).
鈥淭he disintegration of the glacier tongue is also progressing at the Pasterze, Austria鈥檚 largest glacier, making the consequences of climate change visible,鈥� the club said in the report covering 2024 and 2025.
The report, it added, 鈥渃onfirms once again the long-term trend: Glaciers in Austria continue to shrink significantly in length, area, and volume.鈥�
The retreat of glaciers in Europe has vast implications for drinking water, power generation, agriculture, infrastructure, recreational activities, the and more.
Neighboring , which is home to the most glaciers in Europe, has noted a similar retreat in its glaciers in recent years, a trend that has been reported .
Poor weather conditions including low snowfall, warm temperatures including an exceptionally hot June last year 鈥� nearly 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above the average 鈥� have contributed to the retreat, the club said.
鈥淭he glaciers are melting 鈥� and with every new report, the urgency grows,鈥� club vice president Nicole Slupetzky said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no longer a question of whether we can still save the glaciers in their old form; it鈥檚 about mitigating the consequences for ourselves.鈥�
Such changes in the Alps should serve as a 鈥渨ake-up call鈥� for policymakers and the public in its behavior, the club said.
It said the current figure was lower than during the previous two years, but still ranks as the eight-largest retreat in the 135 years of measurements.
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