TC Web Desk
More than 200 major Alpine glaciers have disappeared in Italy since record-keeping began in 1895, the country’s environmental lobby group Legambiente said in a report.
In its third report, “Caravan of the Glaciers,” Legambiente said the recent findings confirmed “the dramatic retreat of glaciers due to the climate crisis.”
The group said alpine temperatures are rising twice as fast as sea-level temperatures and land ice has been shrinking every year since 2012, the Xinhua news agency reported.
The report is designed as a way to inform politicians about sustainable development policies, Legambient said.
It was produced by the group in collaboration with the Italian Glaciology Committee.
This incident is expected to have far-reaching consequences.
“The rapid retreat of glacial fronts not only leads to the loss of fascinating landscapes and biodiversity, but it also amounts to the disappearance of important freshwater reserves,” the report said.
The lack of fresh water coming from glacial reserves is a major contributor to the drought gripping most of Italy and threatening to reduce agricultural output, especially in northern Italy, where water from glaciers is a key part of the area’s ecosystem, noted the report.
Another significant impact is related to public safety, according to the report.
Last month, a massive avalanche from a melting glacier at Marmolada in the Italian Dolomites killed 11 climbers.
Officials and experts attributed the accident to high temperatures.
