According to the latest OECD study "a temperature increase of 1 ° C, 2 ° C or 4 ° C in the future could reduce the number of ski areas enjoy a reliable snow 500, or 400 200, against 666 at present, the OECD warns.
In fact, "a rise in temperature of 1 ° C is 150 metres above sea level the level at which the natural snow is sufficient for at least 100 days per year." This threshold is currently located at 1200 meters for Switzerland and the neighboring areas of France. For more southerly areas, as Alpes-Maritimes, it rises to 1,500 metres. Among the countries most threatened, Germany, where a rise in temperature of 1 ° C would be enough to drop by 60% the number of stations receiving enough natural snow. Austria, where 4.5% of GDP comes from winter tourism, is also concerned.
The solution? The use of snow cannons, a technique, notes the OECD, "consumes a lot of water and energy, and has an impact on the landscape and ecosystem."