Swiss glaciers lose more than five per cent of their ice again
Swiss glacier ice shrank by 5.5 per cent in 2026 because of sparse winter snowfall and prolonged heat.
Swiss glaciers lost 5.5 per cent of their ice volume this year, according to monitoring network GLAMOS. That is the second-largest annual loss since measurements began.
The figures come from measurements on 23 glaciers in September 2026. GLAMOS extrapolated the results to the approximately 1,300 glaciers in Switzerland. The extrapolation produces an average mass balance of minus 2.9 metres water equivalent during the hydrological year from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026.
The main conditions were a winter with little snow and prolonged heatwaves between May and September. Snow reserves were well below average at the end of winter, particularly in the east and south of the Alps. As a result, the underlying ice was exposed earlier and was able to melt for longer.
According to GLAMOS, winter snow reserves on the glaciers were 25 per cent below average. The summer months of June to August were the warmest in Switzerland since measurements began. The researchers attribute the extreme loss mainly to the combination of high temperatures and the limited snow cover.
Nationally, 2026 was just less extreme than the record year of 2022. On individual large glaciers, including the Aletsch, Rhône and Allalin glaciers, the greatest loss in the measurement series was recorded. In some lower sections of glaciers, almost ten metres of ice melted locally.
The trend fits a speeding-up of the loss. From 2022 to 2026, the decline in ice volume was, according to GLAMOS, more than twice as high as in any earlier measured five-year period. Since 2021, almost one-fifth of Switzerland’s glacier ice has disappeared.
The rapid melting temporarily supplies extra water to rivers and reservoirs. That effect diminishes as the glaciers become smaller. GLAMOS estimates that approximately 2.5 cubic kilometres of ice disappeared in 2026; that was less than in 2003, when Switzerland still had considerably more glacial area.
The consequences therefore affect more than just the landscape. The researchers identify irrigation, hydropower, ecology and shipping as sectors that must reckon with less meltwater during dry periods. The measurements describe the trend; how much water will remain available in the future will also depend on precipitation, temperature and water management.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- GLAMOS measured an ice-volume loss of 5.5 per cent in 2026.
- The nationwide estimate is based on measurements and extrapolation.
- Less glacier ice could eventually affect hydropower, agriculture, ecology and shipping.
- The figures say nothing about any single Dutch water year.
Left
Arguments The figures show that climate policy is not only about future risks, but also about damage that is already visible and measurable. Governments should reduce emissions more quickly while investing heavily in water conservation, nature restoration and the protection of vulnerable communities.
Values Climate justice, public responsibility, protection of nature and solidarity with future generations.
Consequences More public investment and stricter rules in the short term, but, according to this approach, smaller climate and water risks in the longer term.
Centre
Arguments The measurements call for a dual approach: reduce emissions where this can be done cost-effectively and adapt water management to unavoidable changes. Decisions should be based on measurement series, scenarios and cooperation between countries and sectors.
Values Scientific grounding, feasibility, proportionality and continuity of public services.
Consequences A gradual combination of climate measures, infrastructure adaptations and agreements on water use, with scope to adjust policy.
Right
Arguments The figures are serious, but policy should primarily prevent climate measures from placing unnecessary burdens on energy supply, agriculture and the economy. The priority lies with innovation, better water storage and the protection of national interests, alongside realistic emissions reductions.
Values Affordability, economic resilience, technological progress and national control.
Consequences Greater emphasis on adaptation and technology, with restraint towards measures that quickly impose higher costs on consumers and businesses.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and causes can be found directly in the GLAMOS report. AP and Reuters confirm the main findings and the consequences for water availability; the text clearly distinguishes between measurements and extrapolations.
- confirmed Swiss glaciers lost approximately 5.5 per cent of their ice volume in 2026. — GLAMOS reports a nationwide extrapolation of 5.5 per cent for the 2025/2026 hydrological year. source
- confirmed The measurements were carried out on 23 glaciers in September 2026. — This is stated in the summary and methodology of the GLAMOS report. source
- confirmed The hydrological year ran from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. — GLAMOS defines the measurement period in this way. source
- confirmed Snow reserves were 25 per cent below average. — GLAMOS cites a 25 per cent shortfall in Switzerland at the end of winter. source
- confirmed June to August were the warmest months in Switzerland since measurements began. — The GLAMOS report attributes this finding to MeteoSwiss. source
- confirmed Nationally, 2026 was the second-most negative year after 2022. — GLAMOS describes 2026 as the second-lowest mass balance at national level. source
- confirmed Almost one-fifth of Switzerland’s glacier ice has disappeared since 2021. — This calculation appears in the summary of the GLAMOS report and is repeated by AP and Reuters. source
- confirmed Approximately 2.5 cubic kilometres of ice disappeared in 2026. — GLAMOS reports this as the absolute nationwide ice loss in 2026. source
Editor's note
The measurements on 23 glaciers were established directly; the nationwide loss of 5.5 per cent is a GLAMOS extrapolation to all Swiss glaciers. The researchers linked the causes to sparse winter snowfall and prolonged heat; the precise future consequences for water use remain uncertain.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „klimaat gletsjers”
- de Volkskrant — „klimaat gletsjers”
- NU.nl — „klimaat gletsjers”