The world would face a crisis if the alpine glaciers melt away by the end of the century. It will lead to a situation where the source of water would dry up and those living downstream would be denied the precious commodity. The prediction is that by 2050, half of the ice in the Alpine mountain chain could vanish due to Global warming. Subsequently, even if there are sincere efforts to reduce carbon emissions to zero, the loss of ice will still be two-thirds by 2100. In the opinion of researchers, this loss of a vital natural resource like water would have a direct impact on farming and hydroelectricity, especially during droughts.

It would also result in disturbing the ecological balance and the environment.

The Guardian quotes a glaciologist, member of a research team at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, as saying, “Glaciers in the European Alps and their recent evolution are some of the clearest indicators of the ongoing changes in climate.” Another member adds that while most of the ice will be lost by 2100, there could be tiny patches that will survive at high altitudes.

Global phenomenon, global warming

Loss of glaciers due to global warming is not unique to the Alpines. In Asia, the melting of the Hindu Kush and Himalayan range glaciers could affect almost two billion people downstream.

Here too, researchers stress that global carbon emissions must reduce in order to prevent melting of glaciers. The ice from glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica converts into water and ultimately flows into the seas to raise the sea levels.

The focus is on eliminating the sources that contribute to global warming and the obvious answer, is fossil fuel.

The Guardian adds that the world must take steps to cut down emissions from burning of such fuels and introduce Renewable Energy like solar power or electricity. Another factor is deforestation because the absence of green cover aggravates the impact of the heat. The bottom line is to arrest the melting of the ice and ensure the continued presence of glaciers.

Water from glacier melt will increase sea level

According to Daily Mail UK, greenhouse emissions are melting the glaciers and the water flows into the seas to increase sea levels. That, in turn, creates problems for those who live near the seashore. Researchers from Switzerland predict about the continued loss of Alpine glaciers which hold in the region of 95 percent of ice found in the Alps. They say the reduction of greenhouse gas must get priority and add that it will be difficult to prevent a 50-percent loss by 2050 even if there are strict emission controls. The 2015 Paris accord on climate change highlighted the dangers of global warming and revealed the need to shelve fossil fuels and switch over to alternate renewable energy.

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