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Melting glaciers force Italy and Switzerland to redraw border

Sep 29, 2024, 3:04pm EDT
The Matterhorn peak
Steve Christo - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
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Italy and Switzerland have redrawn their shared border in the Alps, a decision compelled by climate change. Historically, the two European countries have used glaciers in the shadow of the Matterhorn mountain peak as their frontiers, but the glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to climate change.

The changes, proposed in 2023, were ratified by Switzerland Friday, Bloomberg reported, with Italy expected to follow suit.

The decision affects the border around the Zermatt ski resort, a popular tourist destination that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

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Europe has seen rapid warming and record temperatures each year this decade, and Alpine glaciers have lost some 10% of their volume in the last two years, leading some experts to predict more changes to borders in the region may be on the horizon.

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