Starting June 29th, Swiss glaciers will have spent their “winter reserves” (ie, the accumulated snow and ice from the previous winter) and will start shrinking until the next winter “hopefully” brings cold and snow. We have known for decades that Swiss glaciers were melting at an ever-increasing pace, due to the warming of average temperatures and the decrease in winter precipitations. What I have never seen anyone talk about is: Switzerland will have a major problem with water in a few decades. Since forever, Switzerland is touted as the “Water Tower of Europe”, but the truth is that our reserves are in glaciers that will soon have disappeared. Before they do, the flow of the Rhine and the Rhone will change and probably go through phases of expansions (when ice melts too fast) and contractions (when there won’t be enough ice). Our neighbours rely on our water: the Rhone and the Rhine are essential to the French, German, and Dutch industrial and energy sectors. There may come a time when Switzerland must decide between keeping water for itself, or letting it flow to Europe. At that moment, what will our neighbours do? Will they be kind and understanding, or will they threaten us? Conversely, when Switzerland eventually runs out of glacier water, how will we gain access to desalination capacity? Who will provide it to us? Beyond the water problem itself, it begs the question: how can Switzerland plan for its future in isolation from its European neighbours. We might need them for our own survival very soon, yet a huge portion of the population wants to distance our country from the EU and believes that Switzerland is so exceptional that it can fix everything on its own/doesn’t need anyone. I fear for the hydric future of Switzerland, and the current lack of political discussion around the topic. Suisse : les glaciers ont déjà épuisé leurs réserves hivernales | RTS When the water runs dry: Why France is freaking out over a tiny Swiss dam – POLITICO Switzerland and France sign accords to manage shared waters - SWI swissinfo.ch submitted by /u/siorge
Originally posted by u/siorge on r/Switzerland