Water

Glaciers store winter precipitation as ice and release it in the hottest, driest weeks of summer. The Rhine, the Rhône, the Po and the Danube all draw on this store. In summer, around 30% of the Rhône’s water at Geneva comes from glaciers, and more during droughts.

While glaciers shrink, they first release more water than usual: they are melting their capital. This extra flow peaks and then declines as the ice runs out. Researchers call this moment peak water. GLAMOS reported in 2025, and again in 2026, that the peak of meltwater release from Swiss glaciers has likely already passed.

After the peak, rivers fed by glaciers carry less water in late summer, exactly when agriculture, hydropower, shipping and river ecosystems need it most. Water quality and groundwater recharge change too.