Switzerland more exposed to climate change than expected: Report

GENEVA

Swiss national climate projections suggested that Switzerland's warming is proceeding far faster than the world average, Swissinfo reported Tuesday.

According to the report, the Earth's temperature has already increased by about 1.3C from pre-industrial levels, while in Switzerland the rise stands at around 2.9C.

Researchers at MeteoSwiss and ETH Zurich estimated that if global warming reaches 1.5C, Switzerland could face a 2.9C rise.

If global temperature increases by 3C, the report said, Swiss warming may hit 4.9C. These updated forecasts show an increase of some 10-15% compared with earlier 2018-based scenarios.

The projections warned of more frequent heat waves, droughts, heavier rainfall and less snow. The warming signal is stronger in Switzerland than globally, making Swiss regions particularly vulnerable to climate change's cascading risks, which would make adaptation critical.