The cost of climate change. The story of the Swiss Alpine Club’s huts.

For the first time, the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) has estimated the costs of adapting its huts owing to the impact climate change: the answer is five to seven million Swiss francs (5.3m-7.5m euros/5.8m-8.1m USD*) have to be invested annually until 2040. This requires a new financing model for the federation in the medium term.

The following content is an adaption of the article published on the SAC website and features additional information supplied following an interview conducted by the UIAA with Ulrich Delang, Head of Huts at the SAC.

This is the latest article in a series of case studies produced by the UIAA and its members highlighting how climbing and mountaineering associations are adapting to climate change. Please refer to links to other case studies at the foot of this article. These stories form part of the UIAA’s commitment to sharing information on mitigating and adapting to climate change as part of its Climate Action Plans.

SAC Case Study

The Trifthütte (Trift Hut), located at 2520m, was badly damaged by an avalanche in 2021. It has been closed since then. The decline in glaciation above the hut allows for avalanches of greater magnitude, which is why the location is no longer safe. Next year, the Trifthütte will be rebuilt at a more suitable location. The same goes for the Mutthornhütte (Mutthorn Hut), 2901m. It has also been closed since 2021 because of the threat of rockfalls. The cause is global warming, which is causing thawing permafrost and a shrinking glacier. The situation is especially difficult in the Valais, Bernese Oberland and Graubünden (Grisons) regions.

The replacement buildings for these two accommodations are among a total of nine current new construction and renovation projects for SAC huts, for which contributions from the hut fund are to be approved at the Presidents’ Conference in November 2023. “Adaptation to climate change is a component in seven of the nine projects,” says Ulrich Delang, Head of Huts at the SAC. For example, SAC dry toilets must be installed at the Carschina Hut. The project description states: “By improving the water supply and reducing water consumption by installing dry toilets, the hut’s operation will be ensured in the future.”

As Delang explains, SAC huts are already highly sustainable conscious operations: “The vast majority of SAC huts are not connected to the power grid; the energy supply is provided, if possible, exclusively with renewable, local energy sources (usually water, sun, wind, sometimes wood). However, gas is still used for cooking. Most of the buildings are built using the renewable material wood. But we still rely on helicopter transport for the construction and operation of the hut.”

In the future, adaptation to climate change will probably play a larger or smaller role in every hut construction project. This is why the SAC has now estimated for the first time in a forecast for the years 2024 to 2040 what this will mean financially in the coming decades.

Overall, the project costs for SAC huts amount to 20 to 25 million CHF francs per year (21-26 million euros, 23-29 million USD*). Up to a third of this is for investments that have become necessary due to climate change. In concrete terms, this amounts to five to seven million francs per year. If you extrapolate this amount, you arrive at an expenditure of over 100 million francs by 2040. “We based our calculations on the experience of the last few years and calculated them based on the expected number of construction projects,” says Delang.

Almost half of these more than 100 million are due to gravitational processes. Some huts are at risk from rock falls, for example, or the building site is unstable due to thawing permafrost, as in the case of the Rothornhütte, located at 3180m just above the resort of Zermatt. Because in such cases the only option is often to build a replacement building at a more suitable location, the costs are correspondingly high. A replacement building project currently costs between four and five million francs – and the construction costs will very likely rise in the coming years.

The amount per hut for measures to combat water shortages is less. But because the issue affects so many huts, the total costs are still high. Just a few years ago, it was assumed that one in five huts had water supply problems. This problem has become more pronounced, explains Delang. It is almost certain that more huts are affected by it today.

It also becomes expensive when huts are destroyed by avalanches. For example, the Mittelaletschbiwak, 3013m, was swept away by masses of snow in 2019, after which the SAC had a rough assessment of the avalanche risk at all hut locations drawn up. Based on current knowledge, it is assumed that just over a quarter of the huts are in a danger zone. The necessary protective measures must be implemented in construction projects.

If SAC huts owned by the sections are newly built, rebuilt or renovated, the central association contributes 30% to 40% of the costs according to the current hut regulations. It takes the contributions from the hut fund, which is mainly financed by sales expenditure from hut operations and donations. There is also a wastewater fund and a natural hazard fund. The latter was created to cover the costs of avalanche protection measures. It is also financed by donations.

The estimated costs up to 2040 indicate that the current financing model will not be sufficient. “The hut fund is currently set up in such a way that the financing of construction projects is secured for the next few years. If the forecast costs materialise, the hut fund will be in deficit in around five years without adjustment measures,” adds Delang. To prevent this, either income must be increased or expenditure, i.e. contributions to construction and maintenance measures, must be reduced. A combination of both measures or support from third parties is also conceivable. For now the SAC, has not had to make cuts from other projects “but such a situation cannot be ruled out,” explains Delang.

An important step in this direction was the referral of a postulate by the National Council this summer. The Valais National Councilor Benjamin Roduit submitted the petition. It instructs the Federal Council to “draw up a catalogue of incentives or even financial aid so that alpine huts like those of the Swiss Alpine Club can continue to exist.” The request met with broad approval in the National Council: parliamentarians in practically all parliamentary groups supported it. However, this is only the beginning of a process to gain national and federal backing.

In other Alpine countries, the situation is even more dramatic. The Association of Alpine Clubs in Austria launched a petition and a campaign this spring. According to a statement, a rescue package worth 95 million euros is needed to preserve the huts and hiking trails in Austria. One reason for the precarious situation is the increasing number of extreme weather events as a result of climate change.

(*) indicates approximately exchange rate in October 2024.

Additional Case Studies:

How to create engaging reports on climate change by the Alpine Club of Canada
Setting standards in climate change by the German Alpine Club

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