Switzerland’s glaciers lost 5.5 percent of their total ice volume this year, marking the second-largest annual decline on record, according to a report released Thursday, October 1, 2026, by the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), the country’s glacier monitoring service, and the Swiss Academy of Sciences, its largest scientific network.
This rapid melting is primarily attributed to extreme heat and insufficient snowfall during winter. In the last five years alone, Swiss glaciers have lost approximately one-fifth of their ice volume.
Mathias Huss, head of GLAMOS and a professor of glaciology, stated that Alpine glaciers cannot sustain their current state for much longer. He linked the observed temperature increase directly to human-induced climate change, emphasizing that such warming would not occur without human emissions and fossil fuel use.
From July to September this year, Swiss glaciers are estimated to have lost ice equivalent to about 2.2 trillion litres of water. This volume is four times the annual water consumption of Switzerland’s population of approximately 9.1 million. Given that Switzerland generates over half of its electricity from hydropower, these glacial changes also have significant implications for water resources and energy production.
While the absolute amount of ice lost this year is less than in 2003, the percentage loss relative to the remaining ice is higher. In 2003, glaciers lost 3.5 percent of their total volume, but the current remaining ice is only about one-third of what it was 23 years ago.
Some glaciers experienced an average thickness reduction of 2.5 to four metres this year, with ice thickness decreasing by up to 10 metres in the frontal parts of others. The Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps, along with Allalin, Clariden, and Rhone glaciers, are among those experiencing rapid ice loss.
Experts warn that the impact of glacial melting extends beyond Switzerland. Often referred to as Europe’s “water tower,” Switzerland contributes to the water sources of major rivers like the Danube, Po, Rhine, and Rhone. Global warming is also causing significant changes to ice and glaciers in other regions, including the Himalayas, Greenland, and Antarctica.
A particular concern for glaciers is the lack of adequate snowfall in winter, which protects older ice from melting and forms the necessary base for new ice at higher altitudes. The most severe ice loss on record for Swiss glaciers occurred in 2022, driven by extreme heat, low snowfall, and red dust from the Sahara Desert.
Switzerland has a long tradition of glacier monitoring, dating back to the late 19th century. GLAMOS collects and compiles glacier-related data linked to climate change, making its findings available to international data centres and the public. In May 2025, a large section of the Burch Glacier in the Swiss Alps broke off, burying 90 percent of Blatten village under ice, rocks, and mud, leading to the evacuation of 300 residents. A similar event occurred in the Silvretta Alps in 2023.
The GLAMOS and Swiss Academy of Sciences report underscores the urgency of addressing human-induced climate change and reducing fossil fuel emissions. As the Swiss Academy of Sciences advises policymakers on knowledge-based and socially relevant issues, these findings are expected to inform future policy discussions. However, no new specific policies or actions by the Swiss government in response to this particular report have been announced.
