Climate change could end winter sports as we know them
Scientists warn that the snowy winters long linked to the Winter Olympic Games are becoming harder to guarantee, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports, citing The Conversation.
Research shows winters across the Northern Hemisphere have grown shorter over the past half century, while mountain areas at lower elevations are warming especially fast.
Snow cover is declining and weather has become less predictable. Athletes are already feeling the consequences. In recent seasons, numerous World Cup competitions were called off because there was not enough safe snow.
Concern inside the sport is high. A survey of elite competitors and coaches from 20 countries found that 9 out of 10 fear climate change will threaten the future of winter events.
In 2023, almost 300 athletes wrote to international officials urging them to adapt competition calendars to new weather realities.
The challenge is even sharper for the Paralympics, which traditionally follow the Olympics and therefore take place later in the season, when conditions are warmer.
Studies suggest that by the middle of the century only a small group of current or former host regions could reliably stage those events.
One proposal gaining attention is to move the timetable forward by several weeks. Analysts say starting earlier in the year could almost double the number of places able to host the Paralympics while keeping the Olympics largely viable.
Another solution is expanded snowmaking. Machine-produced snow has been part of every Winter Games for decades and experts argue it is now essential. Without it, only a handful of venues worldwide would remain dependable by the 2050s. At the same time, the practice raises concerns about water use, energy demand and effects on nature.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that ocean damage doubles the true cost of climate change.
