There will be 100% artificial snow in Beijing, a first in the history of the Winter Olympics. The reason ? The mountains that will host the events northwest of the Chinese capital, in the regions of Zhangjiakou and Yanqing, receive very few flakes, even though snow has appeared in recent days. The organizers therefore decided to set up a network of pipes, fed by dams located several kilometers away, to create fake snow.
It is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which requires that such a snowmaking system be put in place, in order to guarantee the quality of the snow for outdoor events. This snow created thus feeds the 300 guns spread over the two sites, to cover the slopes that the athletes will descend, from February 4 to 20.
“There will inevitably be impacts”
Since the Games in Sochi, Russia, 8 years ago, artificial snow has become an essential element of the Olympiads in winter. In 2014, 80% of the snow was made. In Pyeongchang (South Korea), in 2018, it was 10% more. China has thus reached a new milestone in 2022.
“There will inevitably be impacts in a region where there is almost no water in winter”, explained Carmen de Jong, geographer at the University of Strasbourg, to Bloomberg Green. “For six months and the snow sports season, the water stays away from the natural ecosystem. Another risk also exists: when the fake snow melts, it could be harmful to the environment. For its part, the organizing committee of the Games has been following an environmental protection protocol for several months.