Switzerland in 2075: How climate change will transform the country’s the landscape by Neue Zürcher Zeitung

How will climate change transform the Swiss landscape? In our immersive story, readers travel along Switzerland’s longest river, the Aare, in the year 2075 and explore an environment altered by global warming. Using photorealistic, data-based 3D renderings and data visualizations, we visualize a future where glaciers have melted, and new lakes have formed; droughts fuel forest fires, and crops adapted to warmer temperatures grow in the fields.

At the heart of the story is a 3D satellite map that allows readers to “fly” along the Aare River. At two locations, one in the Alps and another in a forest, we dive down to the ground, allowing the reader to walk through the scenery. They peer down at a new lake where a glacier once stood and walk along the ridge of a changed forest. Overlaid geographic data and visualizations provide a broader scientific context for the journey.

The story illustrates the consequences of climate change at a local level. Going beyond simply highlighting potential threats, it offers insights into how early adaptation and decisive action today could still create a livable future.