One in eight ski resorts worldwide could lack natural snow by the end of the century as quantities of snow diminish due to climate change, according to a German report released on Wednesday evening.
"Climate change is significantly altering the patterns of natural snowfall, which has strong but varying consequences for ski resorts worldwide," said Veronika Mitterwallner, a researcher at the University of Bayreuth's Department of Sports Ecology.
"In all major ski regions, a substantial decrease in the number of days with natural snow cover is expected under every emission scenario assessed," said Mitterwallner, who led a study of snow cover in seven major mountain regions popular for winter sports.
The decline is particularly marked at lower altitudes, according to the study published in PLOS ONE journal.
In response, ski tourism is likely to continue shifting to higher altitudes, which in turn is expected to have deadly consequences for Alpine plants and animals.
Many ski resorts will struggle with the economic impact of the shift, though some may resort to using artificial snow, the study said.
Meanwhile new roads and other infrastructure will be needed in order to access areas that may be further away from heavily populated areas, meaning a further impact on natural resources.
High-elevation species, already endangered, are likely to be impacted in particular.
The study focused on the effects of climate change on the annual natural snow cover in seven areas with a high level of skiing activity, in the Alps in Europe, the Andes, the Appalachians, the Australian Alps, the Japanese Alps, the New Zealand Alps and the Rocky Mountains.
Some 69% of the regions analyzed were in the European Alps, the largest global ski market.
The study said 13% of ski resorts could have completely lost their natural snow cover by the end of the century, assuming a high emissions scenario, meaning a greater impact on climate change.
Some 20% would not even have half as many days with complete snow cover by the end of the century compared to the historical baseline, according to the study.