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What “almost 20%” measures
The figure refers to the volume of ice in Swiss glaciers, not their surface area or the number of glaciers. GLAMOS estimates that Switzerland had about 42.6 km³ of glacier ice and 714 km² of glacier area at the end of 2026. The area was about one-third lower than in 2000; these are separate measures of change. GLAMOS’s 2026 annual report puts the cumulative volume loss since 2021 at almost 20%.
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The annual percentage and the five-year total answer different questions. GLAMOS estimates that glaciers lost 5.5% of their volume in 2026 alone. For the five years 2022–2026, the melt rate was more than twice as high as in any earlier monitored five-year period. The report also estimates a decline of 27% over 2016–2026, compared with 17% over 2010–2020, 14% over 2000–2010 and 10% over 1990–2000.
How GLAMOS estimates glacier loss
GLAMOS measures annual mass balance, which combines snow gained over winter with snow, firn and ice lost during the warmer part of the year. In September 2026, teams surveyed 23 glaciers. They use measurements at field stakes to estimate the balance in water equivalent, then extrapolate the observations across the surveyed glaciers and regionalize the results to Switzerland’s 1,300 glaciers in the 2023 inventory. A mass-balance estimate for one year is not itself the same thing as a cumulative change in glacier volume.
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For longer-term volume estimates, monitoring also uses geodetic comparisons of digital elevation models. GLAMOS documentation describes converting measured volume changes to geodetic mass balance using an assumed ice density of 850 kg/m³. Switzerland’s monitoring system also tracks glacier area, snow accumulation, ice melt, glacier flow and ice temperatures. Methods and data are available through the GLAMOS downloads page and the federal overview “How are our glaciers doing?”.
Why losses became so severe
Too little snow accumulated over winter
At the end of winter 2026, glacier snow was 25% below the Swiss-wide average, according to GLAMOS. Snow acts as a seasonal cover over ice. When there is less of it, that protective layer disappears sooner and bare ice is exposed to the sun and warm air for longer.
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Summer heat accelerated melting
June through August 2026 brought record-hot conditions. GLAMOS estimated that summer melt was 58% above its 2010–2020 average. The thin winter snow cover was depleted early, leaving ice exposed through an extended period of strong melt.
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Weather and dust also affect the balance
Heat alone does not explain the year-to-year losses. Winter snowfall determines how much ice is covered; summer snowfall, solar radiation and Saharan dust can also affect how much energy reaches the surface and how quickly it melts. GLAMOS says less Saharan dust deposition than in 2022 and a somewhat smaller winter snow deficit helped moderate the 2026 loss relative to 2022, despite higher temperatures. The report does not quantify the relative contribution of every factor.
Why 2022 and 2026 stand out
GLAMOS records a 5.9% loss of Swiss glacier volume in 2022 and a 4.4% loss in 2023, followed by the 5.5% loss in 2026. The 2022 result remains more severe than 2026; 2026 was the second-largest annual loss in the report’s comparison. The sequence of extreme years helps explain how a near-fifth of the ice volume could disappear over five years. Contemporary accounts of the earlier losses are available from SCNAT’s 2022 report and its 2023 report.
What the loss means for water and communities
GLAMOS estimates that Switzerland had lost more than 30 km³ of glacier ice since 2000 by the end of 2026. Glacier meltwater can ease summer water shortages, but that contribution diminishes as the ice-covered area shrinks. The annual report warns that declining glacier runoff can make water-resource management more difficult during drought, with implications for irrigation, hydropower, ecosystems and transport.
From July through September 2026, glaciers released an estimated 2,200 billion litres of water—more than four times Swiss households’ annual drinking-water consumption, according to the WSL and SCNAT institutional release. This is a period-specific estimate of meltwater released, not a measure of drinking water available to households. The release is titled “Swiss glaciers lose a further five per cent of their volume”.
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GLAMOS says final figures are not yet available for the number of individual glaciers that disappeared during summer 2026. A fuller count is expected when the next Swiss Glacier Inventory is compiled, around 2028. Individual reports of disappearances before then should be treated as provisional, not as a final national total.
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Who monitors Switzerland’s glaciers?
GLAMOS (Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland) coordinates the measurements and analysis. It is coordinated by the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT), with teams at ETH Zurich, the University of Fribourg and the University of Zurich maintaining the monitoring work. Its annual report is by Matthias Huss, Andreas Bauder, Andreas Linsbauer and Martina Barandun.
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