The Alpine Club has warned that Austria may lose almost all of its glaciers within 45 years, as two of these glaciers shrank by more than 100 meters last year. Amid global concerns regarding the impact of climate warming on glaciers worldwide, the latest report from the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) highlights a significant decline in glaciers in the country over the past seven years.
The study revealed that 93 Austrian glaciers decreased in volume by an average of 23.9 meters last year, marking the third-largest glacier melt since record-keeping began in 1891. The year 2022 was the worst for glacier melting in Austria, with an average retreat of 28.7 meters. Due to the severe warming affecting the Alps, nearly all glaciers may disappear within 45 years, according to the Alpine Club, which believes that climate protection measures have been taken too late.
Andreas Kellehrer Pirkbauer, head of glacier measurement at the Alpine Club, stated in a press release on Friday: "In 40 to 45 years, almost all of Austria will be without glaciers."
