Climate change poses a long-term threat to winter sports in the area of Cortina, according to a new United Nations report featuring a stress-test analysis of the situation in the Italian Dolomites.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 2022 State of Climate Services Energy report pointed out that climate change has already had a big impact in the Alpine area in terms of temperature rise (2 degrees Celsius over the last 120 years) at a pace that is as much as twice the global average, with dramatic consequences in terms of glacier retreat and disappearance.
It said climate change presented multiple risks that should be carefully considered in planning.
"This is the case in key areas for eyewear production (Longarone, Sedico, Agordo), where risks for winter sports are also present," the report said.
"Even more relevant is the combination of high risks for summer tourism with moderate to high risks for both electricity distribution and winter sports in the area of Cortina".
The reports said that aggregating historical and future risk maps for the Belluno Province gave an increase of up to 6.2 per cent in the direct climate risk and a 10.2 per cent increase in the indirect climate risk for wet snow events in the 2036-2065 period.
The report said that the global supply of electricity from clean energy sources must double within the next eight years to limit global temperature increase. Otherwise, there is a risk that climate change, more extreme weather and water stress will undermine our energy security and even jeopardize renewable energy supplies, it said.
