The climate crisis is clearly felt today: Southern Europe is ravaged by an extreme heat wave, forest fires and drought. But Switzerland is even benefiting from the effects of climate change: it is gaining ground. The melting glaciers on the border with Italy are responsible for this…
Two-thirds of the Swiss border is determined by geography: these natural borders are formed by, for example, lakes, rivers or mountains. These are constantly changing due to phenomena such as stone chips or storms. Climate change also affects where national borders are drawn.
Bilateral dispute over refuge in the Alps
The melting glaciers are also shifting the border with Italy – in favor of Switzerland. Although no one lives in the affected high alpine area, this leads to border conflicts: because a former Italian mountain hut is actually located in Switzerland due to the changes in the terrain. Therefore, a bilateral dispute has arisen over the hut on the Testa Grigia in the Valais Alps – even after almost two years, no agreement is in sight.
Hüttenwirt: “The hut didn’t move”
The landlord cannot understand the excitement: “These are theoretical considerations”, he explained to the “Walliser Bote”. For him, the matter is clear: “The hut has not moved. It has always stood on this rock and belongs to Italy.” In any case, many authorities are involved in the border dispute, on the Swiss side alone, the Federal Bureau of Topography, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the customs authorities are involved in the Testa Grigia case.
Switzerland has already brought home a chairlift station
More than 20 years ago, Switzerland was able to secure additional territory through the melting of glaciers. When the Theodul Glacier – also in the Valais Alps – retreated in 2000, this also led to a change of the boundary. Since then, the chairlift station there has belonged to Swiss territory. As the newspaper Blick writes, Switzerland benefits more from adapting its natural borders. The glaciers are said to be mainly on the northern slopes. When these melt away, the watershed (mountain ridge) that defines the course of the border shifts south – and Switzerland expands.
Border disputes in the Swiss mountains may increase in the near future: Alain Wicht of the Federal Office of Topography explains the glacier’s shrinkage: “It’s worse than ever.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
