Fight for the glaciers: WWF demands immediate protection in Tyrol!

Fight for the glaciers: WWF demands immediate protection in Tyrol!

On the occasion of the first international day of the glaciers on March 21st, the nature conservation organization WWF Austria urgently calls for comprehensive protection of the glaciers in the country. The organization warns that extreme climate changes could result in hardly any glaciers in Austria in a few decades. WWF expert Ann-Kristin Winkler emphasizes that politicians urgently awaken and take measures to preserve these valuable natural resources. "This means both full protection of the climate and the stopping new glacier ski areas," she adds. There are currently alarming examples in the Tyrolean Kaunertal and in the Pitztal, where new projects could threaten the untouched glacier areas. A planned development on the whipper in the Kaunertal and the controversy around the past mega project "Pitztal-Ötztal" are at the center of criticism.

urgent protection required

The two largest glaciers of Tyrol could be made too expensive for expensive construction sites due to the constant construction work that would be necessary to maintain skiing. "The state government should push a stop from the outset and restore absolute glacier protection," demands Winkler. Instead of allowing further interventions in these sensitive ecosystems, the glaciers should be better integrated into the retirement area of the Ötztaler Alps. As a result, they could serve as retreats for rare animals and plants, especially since the climatic conditions in lower altitudes deteriorate rapidly.

In addition, the Alpine Club has published alarming reports on the decline in the Austrian glaciers. In the 2023/24 measurement season, the glaciers shrank by an average of 24 meters, which is one of the highest declines in recent years. Without a fundamental turn in politics and the ski area economy, there is still a threat of accelerated exploitation of these unique landscapes, according to hiking protection experts. In the midst of these worries, the premiere of the film “Requiem in Weiss” by the Austrian filmmaker Harry Putz on March 21st in Innsbruck is also expected, which deals with the decay of the glaciers and was co -financed by the WWF Austria.

As the WWF Austria states, the glaciers are not only important for nature conservation, but also for research, to better understand how climate change affects. The United Nations also declared in 2025 to the year of glacier protection, which further underlines the urgency of these topics.

For more details and information, visit the reports on ots.at and wwf.at .