Swiss glacier collapse highlights urgent need for monitoring and warning systems, WMO says

By&nbspBojan Brkic

Published on 04/06/2025 - 12:36 GMT+2

Glacier-related risks are becoming a world concern, according to Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of nan World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

Speaking astatine nan Glacier Preservation Conference successful Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Saulo emphasised that each countries, sloppy of improvement level, look threats linked to glacial change.

A caller disaster successful nan Swiss colony of Blatten illustrated nan dangers. A glacier-triggered mudslide devastated nan area, destroying astir each livelihoods.

One personification remains missing, but early informing systems were credited pinch reducing nan wide impact.

In consequence to accelerating ambiance change, nan WMO is urging accrued finance successful glacier monitoring and forecasting.

Saulo highlighted nan request for greater consciousness and support for hydrometeorological centres worldwide.

“With amended monitoring, we tin expect to person amended forecasts, pinch those we tin expect to person amended early informing systems successful nan extremity to protect societies, protect group and to protect livelihoods,” she said.

The Swiss glacier illness is not an isolated event

Just past week, Blatten was buried nether a monolithic avalanche of stone and crystal from nan Birch Glacier and nan adjacent Lonza River bed.

Experts had issued warnings astir nan imaginable illness of nan glacier, which contained 1.5 cardinal cubic metres of ice.

Local authorities acted quickly, evacuating astir 300 group and livestock. A fewer days aft nan event, nan Lonza River resumed its travel done nan debris.

The Blatten illness is not an isolated event.

In 2022, a chunk of nan Marmolada glacier successful Italy’s Dolomite Mountains - astir nan size of an flat building - collapsed disconnected during a summertime power wave. The resulting avalanche swept done a celebrated hiking area, sidesplitting 11 people.

In 2016, a glacier successful Tibet’s Aru upland scope abruptly collapsed, sidesplitting 9 group and their livestock. A fewer months later, different glacier successful nan region gave way.

Glacier collapses person besides occurred successful Peru. In 2006, 1 triggered a mini tsunami, and successful April of this year, an overflowing glacial lagoon caused a landslide that killed 2 people.

“It's astonishing sometimes really quickly they tin collapse,” Lonnie Thompson, a glacier master astatine nan Ohio State University, told nan AP.

“The instability of these glaciers is simply a existent and increasing problem, and location are thousands and thousands of group that are astatine risk.”

While pouring glaciers are expected to contribute to oversea level emergence for decades, scientists pass that nan nonaccomplishment of inland glaciers poses contiguous risks to adjacent communities that dangle connected them for drinking h2o and agriculture.