Uncertainty over climate poses threat to future Games

The Winter Olympics promise to be one of the most spectacular versions of the quadrennial sporting festival. But could these Games be among the last, as experts warn that climate change threatens future winter events?

International Games officials have heaped praise on China's planning for the event, with infrastructure completed ahead of schedule after seven years of preparations.

Yiannis Exarchos, the CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services, which ensures coverage of the Games, described the Beijing 2022 venues as "really spectacular, not just the design, but the technical execution".

"It's probably the best we have ever seen in terms of a winter edition of the Olympic Games," he added.

Like previous Games' organizers, Chinese officials have also had to establish the infrastructure to create artificial snow to ensure the right physical environment for competitors in an era of growing climate uncertainty.

It is a recurring challenge for Winter Games' planners. Man-made snow was first used at the Winter Olympics in New York State in 1980, long before the challenge of global warming was identified. In 2018, the Winter Games in South Korea were almost totally reliant on artificial snow.

In the face of the environmental challenges posed by man-made snow, Chinese authorities have promised an event that will be green and clean, and the International Olympic Committee has confirmed that its snow production facilities match the highest technical and environmental standards.

Researchers have warned that in the longer term, post-Beijing 2022, climate change threatens the future of the Winter Olympics and snow sports in general.

Maddy Orr, a lead researcher on the study "Slippery Slopes" by the United Kingdom's Loughborough University, said: "Beijing 2022 is not unique in facing issues with lack of snow: This is a recurring issue in mountain areas all around the world."

The study estimated that, of the 21 venues used for the Winter Games since Chamonix, France, in 1924, only 10 would have a suitable climate and natural snowfall level to host an event by 2050. Chamonix itself is now rated high-risk along with venues in Norway, France and Austria.

Commenting on the report, Lesley McKenna, a three-time UK winter Olympian, said: "I have cherished the last three decades in snow sports. But I harbor mounting fears for where we could be in another 30 years' time."

Global warming not only threatens the future of the Winter Olympics, but also casts a shadow over the ever popular amateur winter sports market.

Winter sports enthusiasts are now having to look farther－and higher－to guarantee the right conditions, prompting some analysts to ponder whether the industry can survive in the face of rising temperatures.

A winter trip to the mountains is a regular fixture for many in the developed world－one in 10 in the UK, for example, are estimated to be regular skiers.

In China, meanwhile, the Winter Games are certain to fuel a growing passion for snow sports among the public.

Xinhua News Agency recently acknowledged that winter sports were traditionally confined to within the country's cold northeastern regions and considered an unaffordable pastime in the south.

However, as part of a strategy to make skiing more accessible to the public, hundreds of new facilities have been built over the past several years, Xinhua reported, noting that as of 2020, China had 803 ski resorts, up from 568 in 2015.

The climate challenge underscores China's stated ambition to deliver a green and sustainable Winter Olympics, including a commitment to power all the venues with green electricity.

When assessing candidate cities for the 2022 Games, the IOC had originally expressed concerns that a reliance on artificial snow would require the diversion of water from existing reservoirs.

The Chinese organizers were nevertheless able to give assurances that water used for the Olympics would account for less than 2 percent of the local water supply and that the snow cannons being used require 20 percent less energy than ones used in previous Games.

A successful Games will illustrate how good organization and ingenuity can help preserve such a climate-dependent regular sporting festival without damaging the environment.

At the same time, the long-term future of the Winter Games is yet one more issue to add to the overall challenges raised by global warming.

A commentary on the future of winter sports at the website of Euronews lamented that ski resorts and snow sport tournaments should not have to rely on man-made alternatives to continue their work.

It urged winter sports enthusiasts, whether amateur or professional, to lead the fight against climate change: "Otherwise, the future of winter sports may experience an avalanche of regret that we didn't do something sooner."

The author is a senior media consultant for China Daily UK.