Switzerland and Italy agree to move their border for sad reason

Switzerland and Italy have agreed to redraw their shared border for a sad reason.

As the glaciers melt that mark the boundary between Switzerland and Italy, the border is becoming obscured and as a result, the two countries have decided to redraw the line which separates them.

The location of the change is under the iconic Matterhorn Peak, one of the highest summits in the Alps, which overlooks Zermatt, a popular skiing destination. Whilst most national boundaries between countries are fixed, large sections of the Swiss-Italian border are defined by glaciers and snow fields.

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"With the melting of the glaciers, these natural elements evolve and redefine the national border,” the Swiss government said in a statement Friday.

It became clear that the border would need to be amended back in 2022, when a mountain refuge was confused as to which country they resided in. The border changes were agreed on in 2023, and the Swiss government has now officially approved the change. The process of approval is now underway in Italy. As soon as both countries have signed the agreement the details of the new border will be made public.

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The Italian-Swiss border was also amended in 2000, in Furggsattel, Zermatt, after a glacier moved between 100 and 150 metres. Climate change has caused devastating impacts on glaciers. In Switzerland, the glaciers are melting at a rapid rate — last year the country lost four per cent of it's glacier volume. Even if the most ambitious climate target was met, there is still the chance that half of the world's glaciers will be melted by 2100.

The change in the glaciers makes landscapes more unstable, prone to landslides and collapses. Since 1850, glaciers in the alps have lost between 30 and 40 per cent of their surface area and half of their volume. The rapid decline of glaciers has also threatened many animal species and lead to many visitors labelling the Alps' glaciers as 'last-chance tourism'.

In May, a new study found that the Thwaites Glacier, better known as the 'Doomsday Glacier', is melting at an alarming rate beyond scientific predictions. The glacier, which is roughly the size of Florida, has been contributing a four per cent rise to sea levels. If the glacier was to melt entirely, sea levels could rise by 60 centimetres.