The Italian mountains shed their white cloak. The climate crisis is also hitting the Alps hardwhere snow, a symbol of enchanting landscapes and a fundamental resource for the ecosystem and the local economy, is reducing at an alarming rate.
The cryosphere – the combination of snow, glaciers and permafrost – plays a crucial role in the water cycle, influencing irrigation, water supply and hydroelectric energy production. But not only: snow is fundamental for biodiversityfor tourism and for the cultural identity of mountain communities.
On the occasion of World Snow Daywhich is celebrated on 19 January, Legambiente launches an urgent appeal to face this epochal challenge, in its latest report “Nevediversa 2024”. The environmentalist association, on the basis of numerous scientific studies, denounces an alarming situation:
We are witnessing a constant and unprecedented reduction in snow cover – he says Giorgio Zampettigeneral director of Legambiente – We cannot ignore this change and we must consequently change our habits and ways of using mountain environments in the winter months. A greater awareness of what is happening is essential, working on mitigation and adaptation policies to the climate crisis
A significant indicator of this reduction is represented by junipera plant that grows at high altitudes and which, due to the severe environmental conditions, develops with a creeping habit. Its growth is inversely proportional to the duration of the snow cover: less snow means more growth for juniper. And in recent years, the juniper is growing more than ever.
The snowpack acts as a surface water reservoir, determining runoff times that support environmental and human water demands downstream – he explains Vanda Bonardonational manager of the Alps of Legambiente – Billions of people around the world depend on these resources and mountain ranges are today recognized as the ‘water towers of the world’. A persistent reduction in the amount and duration of snow will have profound effects on ecosystems, with serious repercussions on human well-being
Three priorities for intervention
Faced with this critical situation, Legambiente identifies three priorities for intervention: