讀後心得

Due to climate change, the avalanche risk in the Alps has increased, making mountain rescue increasingly important. Recently, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the host city for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, rescue experts conducted drills with the rescue dog Zen, demonstrating its excellent search and rescue capabilities. Influenced by climate factors, increased snowfall and personnel entering hazardous altitude areas have made rescue missions more challenging. According to the Italian avalanche monitoring agency Aineva, the survival rate for avalanche victims is only 50%. In 2023, over 12,000 search and rescue missions were conducted in the Italian mountains, 168 of which utilized rescue dogs, primarily targeting avalanche incidents.

Due to climate change, the highest and most widespread Alps in Europe may face more frequent avalanches, making mountain rescue increasingly important. Recently, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the host cities for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, rescue experts practiced with the mountain rescue dog Zen, who nimbly located trapped individuals, demonstrating excellent search and rescue abilities.

The relationship between climate change and the impact on avalanches is quite complex. With increased snowfall and more people entering relatively dangerous altitudes of 1500 to 2000 meters, the snowpack in these areas becomes heavy and compact. For rescue dogs, the rescue missions may seem like a game, but in reality, these tasks are often not so easy. For example, during a recent avalanche rescue involving Zen, by the time they arrived at the scene, two of the three skiers had unfortunately already lost their lives.

According to statistics from relevant agencies, the survival chance for those caught in avalanches globally is about 50%. Additionally, data from the Italian Alpine Rescue Team shows that over 12,000 search and rescue missions were conducted in the Italian mountains in 2023, with search and rescue dogs being deployed 168 times, primarily focusing on avalanche rescue operations.