Ice melt in Alps shifts Italy-Switzerland border
1Ice melt in Alps shifts Italy-Switzerland border
The Teodol Glacier, located in the Alps, has melted rapidly in the last 40 years. This situation caused the border of Italy and Switzerland to slide, and brought a guesthouse in the region to the agenda of the world. Currently, two-thirds of the business is located in Switzerland and one-third in Italy, causing confusion among visitors, while the agreement between the two countries regarding the new border remains confidential.
The border between Switzerland and Italy has shifted due to the melting of the Teodol Glacier in the Alps. Then, the location of an Italian guesthouse, frequently visited by mountaineers, became controversial.
The 100-meter Border has been redrawn
After passing over the Alpine glaciers, the Italian-Swiss border follows the border watershed line. But the Theodul Glacier lost almost a quarter of its mass between 1973 and 2010. This changed the drainage separation by exposing the rock below to ice, forcing the two neighbors to redraw 100 meters of their boundary.
In addition, the retreat of the Theodul Glacier also caused the basin to advance to the Rifugio Guide del Cervino, near the 3,480-metre peak of Testa Grigia.
TWO THIRD FACILITIES ARE NOW IN SWITZERLAND
When the Rifugio Guide del Cervino was built on a rocky hill in 1984, it was entirely on Italian soil, with 40 beds and long wooden tables, The Guardian reports. But now, two-thirds of the cottage, including most of the beds and the restaurant, is technically located in southern Switzerland.
Although the accommodation's menu is in Italian rather than German and pays in Euros instead of Swiss Francs, this causes confusion among visitors.
According to the news, 59-year-old tourist Frederic, who visited the establishment, emphasized the surprise of the visitors in the region by asking "So, are we in Switzerland or Italy?" while ordering a slice of pie at the restaurant. However, this; It's a question worth asking, as it's the subject of diplomatic negotiations that began in 2018 and ended with a compromise last year, but the details have been kept secret.
AGREEMENT IS KEPT CONFIDENTIAL
The issue of changing the border between Italy and Switzerland came to the fore with an important new development, such as the tourism-based region being located on top of one of the world's largest ski resorts and the construction of a cable car station a few meters away.
An agreement was signed in Florence in November 2021, but the result will be announced after approval by the Swiss government. The decision is not expected to be made public before 2023.
"We decided to split the difference," Alain Wicht, chief border official for Switzerland's national mapping agency Swisstopo, told AFP.
"NO WINNER AND LOSEER"
Wich's mission includes looking after 7,000 border markers on landlocked Switzerland's 1,935-kilometer border with Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Liechtenstein. Saying that he participated in negotiations where both sides made concessions to find a solution, Witch said, "Even if there is no winner on either side, at least no one lost."