Rapid melt and warnings from the Alps
Swiss glaciers have undergone a dramatic retreat over the past decade, losing about a quarter of their volume, according to a new study by Glamos (Réseau des relevés glaciologiques suisses). A snow-poor winter combined with June and August heat waves accelerated melt, pushing several glaciers toward unprecedented losses.
What the latest data show
The 2025 assessment by Glamos studied roughly twenty glaciers directly and then extrapolated the results to about 1,400 Alpine glaciers in Switzerland. The findings: a 3% loss in volume in 2025 alone and a 24% decline over the 2015-2025 decade. That 24% marks the fourth-largest retreat since measurements began, following the years 2022, 2023 and 2003.
Glaciologists note that, over the past two decades, virtually all Swiss glaciers have shed ice, with the rate of loss clearly accelerating. In the Rhône region, the glacier has thinned substantially, with estimates of around 100 meters of thickness lost in the last twenty years—a striking and alarming change.
Consequences for water, energy, and mountain stability
Glaciers in Switzerland play a crucial role in hydropower and drinking-water supply. Even as melt continues, the long-term loss of glacier volume reduces cold-season water storage. Heavier summer droughts and changing runoff patterns threaten Alpine water resources and could elevate rockfalls and icefalls, which have already affected rural communities in places like Blatten in May.
Context: a warming climate and broader Alpine trends
Switzerland is warming at about twice the global average, according to the national meteorological office. Across the Alps, other nations are reporting similar losses as climate change reshapes high-mountain hydrology. The World Glacier Monitoring Service notes that if current emissions persist, nearly all Swiss glaciers—more than half of the remaining Alpine ice—could vanish by the end of the century.
Numbers and what they imply for the future
By the end of 2025, the study estimates the total ice volume of Swiss glaciers at about 45.1 cubic kilometers, roughly 30 cubic kilometers less than in 2000. The glacier-covered area would be about 755 square kilometers, a drop of roughly 30% since 2000. In the 2020s and 2030s, summers with extensive melt are expected to become more common, even if short-lived cold snaps occur in between.
Public response and looking ahead
For visitors and locals, the retreat is tangible. Tourists near the Rhône glacier described the change as heartbreaking, reflecting a broader sense of loss tied to climate change in the Alps. The new data underscore the urgency for policy action and adaptation to manage water resources and protect communities that rely on glacier-fed streams.
