- More than half of all ski resorts in the Alps could be
forced out of business in the next 50 years by rising temperatures, according
to research published yesterday.
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- Low-lying slopes such as Kitzbuhel in Austria and Oberstdorf
in Germany may receive so little snow over the next 30 to 50 years that
skiing, snowboarding and toboganning cease to be viable winter industries.
The warning comes in a study by the University of Zurich for the United
Nations Environment Programme.
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- Its predictions are based on scientific estimates that
temperatures will increase by between 1.4C (2.5F) and 5.8C (10.4F) during
this century.
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- This is expected to raise the snowline by up to 1,000ft,
jeopardising the future of resorts below 5,900ft. Conversely, those above
6,500ft may fall victim to more avalanches.
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- "Climate change will have the effect of pushing
winter sports higher and higher up mountains, concentrating impacts on
ever-decreasing areas," said Dr Rolf Burki, who led the project.
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- "As ski resorts in lower altitudes face bankruptcy,
so the pressure on highly environmentally sensitive upper-altitude areas
rises, along with the pressures to build new ski lifts and other infrastructure."
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- The research focused on Switzerland, where the loss of
places such as Wildhaus and Unterwasser could cost the country £1
million a year through lost revenue.
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- However, experts say their findings are valid for the
whole of the Alps. Most at risk are resorts in Germany and Austria, which
tend to be lower than those in Switzerland. Italy is also likely to be
seriously affected. Beyond Europe, Canada could suffer a decline, while
Australia's nine resorts could all disappear this century.
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- Already some European banks are refusing to lend money
to low-level resorts.
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- The researchers said that although many ski centres used
snow-making equipment, warmer temperatures could make it uneconomical.
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- Their findings were presented at an international conference
on sport and the environment in Turin, host city of the 2006 Winter Olympics.
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- "Climate change in the form of extreme weather events
such as hurricanes, floods and droughts is the greatest challenge facing
the world," said Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's executive director.
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- "But this study shows that it is not just the developing
world that will suffer. Even rich nations are facing potentially massive
upheavals with significant economic, social and cultural implications."
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- Betony Garner, a spokesman for the Ski Club of Great
Britain, said the report made "sad reading".
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- She added: "We had such a warm summer and that has
had an impact on the glaciers, which we will see this winter. We are trying
to be optimistic but we have to consider that it might get warmer and snowfall
may be affected."
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.
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- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003
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