About half of all European ski destinations are at risk of snow shortages if global warming increases average temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius, say the researchers behind the study, published in the journal Natural Climate Change.
Ski destinations in the Alps will be hit the hardest by climate change, the study predicts.
If world temperatures increase by 3 degrees this century, 91 percent of European ski centers risk having too little snow for winter sports. But if global warming reaches 4 degrees, almost all ski destinations on the continent are at risk of snow shortages, according to researchers.
There is very little snow at Schaledmig in Austria in January. As a rule, ski centers are completely covered with snow in winter. Photo: Matthias Schrader / AP / NTB
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Europe is one of the world’s largest ski destinations, and around half of the world’s ski resorts are located here. The study looked at 2,234 ski destinations in 28 European countries.
If the world succeeds in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees – a goal outlined in the Paris Agreement – only 32 percent of mountain resorts will be at high risk of snow shortages, according to the study. This proportion can be reduced to between 14 and 26 percent with the help of artificial snow production.
(© NTB)
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