Austria Faces Shrinking Snowpack and Glacier Loss, Threatening Water Supply
A new study reveals a concerning trend in Austria: decreasing snow cover and rapidly melting glaciers. These changes pose a significant threat to the nation’s long-term water supply, prompting calls for proactive adaptation measures.
Study Findings: Declining Snow and Ice
Research conducted by teams from TU Vienna, GeoSphere Austria, the University of Graz, and BOKU Vienna, as part of the Ministry of the Environment’s “Water in Climate Change – a Study of the Effects” project, has revealed a consistent decline in both snow cover and glacier mass.
The study shows that, on average, the duration of snow cover in Austria is shortening by approximately one day per year, with an average reduction in snow depth of around 1 centimeter annually. Comparing data from 1960 to 2020, snow cover duration at lower altitudes has already decreased by around 60 percent, while average snow depth has fallen by approximately 70 percent.
Glaciers are also disappearing at an alarming rate. Researchers predict that between 70 and 80 percent of Austria’s glacier mass will be lost by 2050 compared to 2024 levels. This melting process has accelerated in the past five years, exceeding previous model projections.
Impact on Water Balance
The reduction in snow and ice significantly impacts Austria’s water balance. As snow melts earlier, the seasonal rhythm of runoff is altered, with peak runoff occurring earlier in the year and potentially less water available during the summer months. The altitude of the zero-degree limit, where precipitation falls as snow or rain, has been rising by 120 to 140 meters every ten years since the 1980s, exacerbating the problem.
Glaciers play a crucial role in water storage, releasing water during warmer, drier periods. Their decline diminishes this storage capacity, particularly impacting high alpine catchment areas.
Future Projections and Scenarios
Snow models developed as part of the study project a continued decline in snowpack as temperatures rise. By mid-century, average snow depth at lower altitudes (0-500 meters) is projected to decrease by around half compared to current levels. Medium altitudes (500-1,000 meters) could spot a reduction of around 35 percent. These projections are based on a likely temperature increase of one degree Celsius.
Under less favorable scenarios, with a potential temperature increase of three degrees Celsius by 2100, snow could become rare at lower altitudes, and snow cover at medium altitudes could decrease by 60 to 75 percent. Changes will be less pronounced only at altitudes above 2,000 to 2,500 meters.
Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies
Environment Minister Norbert Totschnig emphasized the need for proactive measures to ensure Austria’s future water supply. The ministry has already implemented strategies to ensure sufficient drinking water for all households and is reinforcing its precautionary approach.
Adaptation measures being considered include:
- Greater networking of water supply systems
- Adapted control of reservoirs to optimize water resource utilization, including for energy production
- Identification of alternative water sources for high mountain infrastructure currently reliant on glacier water
The “Water in Climate Change” study will continue to provide updated information on evaporation, groundwater development, high and low water scenarios, and water temperatures. The final report, due at the finish of 2026, will offer detailed forecasts for Austria up to 2100.
Further information can be found at wasseraktiv.at/wasser-im-klimawandel.