Image caption:

Storage basin for artificial snow near Asiago/I. © Valentina Dovigo

The year 2022 was the warmest and driest in Italy in the last two centuries, and the second warmest in Europe. The largest temperature increases in recent years have been recorded in the Alps. The increasing lack of snow has also had negative effects and consequences for tourism: artificial snow production, which not only has to contend with rising energy prices, has now reached a dead end thanks to last winter’s drought – so much so that the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/I had to issue a decree to curb water consumption, putting a stop to artificial snow production on ski slopes.

The report entitled “Nevediversa 2023”, presented at the beginning of March by the environmental protection organisation Legambiente, shows that Italy is the Alpine country most dependent on artificial snow: 90% of ski slopes require artificial snow cover, followed by Austria with 70% and Switzerland with 50%. The number of reservoirs mainly used for artificial snowmaking is enormous: in Italy alone, satellite imaging has mapped 142 reservoirs with a total surface area of 1,037,377 square metres.

Numerous ski resorts at low altitudes have been closed owing to a lack of snow: a total of 249 throughout the peninsula between the Alps and the Apennines, in addition to 138 resorts that are “temporarily closed” and 181 that have survived thanks to public subsidies. For Legambiente, the massive use of artificial snow is anything but sustainable, as it involves a significant consumption of water, energy and soil. “It would make more sense to invest resources in adaptation strategies rather than in artificial snow”, affirmed Legambiente president Stefano Ciafani to Italy’s tourism minister, who issued an invitation to a round table in winter to address the emergency related to the snow shortage.

Sources and further information:

www.legambiente.it/comunicati-stampa/nevediversa-2023-i-dati-del-nuovo-report/ (it), www.ministeroturismo.gov.it/appennino-senza-neve-santanche-soddisfacente-il-tavolo-con-le-regioni-individuate-4-misure-risposte-dal-governo-in-2-3-settimane/ (it), www.ilsole24ore.com/art/stop-acqua-auto-e-giardini-tornano-limitazioni-parte-provincia-trento-AEyCuB8C (it), www.suedtirolnews.it/politik/wasser-sparen-massnahmen-treffen-auch-skigebiete (de), www.cipra.org/de/dossiers/wintertourismus-in-den-alpen (de, fr, it, sl)