Lake Geneva warming sparks concern

The waters of Lake Geneva are warming to such an extent that biodiversity, drinking water and bathing are being put at risk. This alarming finding emerges from a report published on Monday by the International Commission for the Protection of the Waters of Lake Geneva (CIPEL). Since 2012, the temperature at the bottom of Lake Geneva has risen by one degree Celcius. This is significant, noted Nicole Gallina, Secretary General of CIPEL. At the surface, the average water temperature reached 13.6 degrees in 2022, an increase of 1.2 degrees in 30 years. Ther year 2022 was marked by a record heat, which also featured low amounts of precipitation and high levels of solar radiation. These conditions led to the fact that the temperature of the surface layer of the lake, between zero and ten metres, constantly exceeded monthly norms. The rarity of severe winters with windy episodes prevented complete mixing of Lake Geneva's waters. This hindered the oxygen supply to the deeper layers of the ...