The increasing demand for artificial snow during the winter months is placing a heavy burden on water and energy supplies in the Alpine region, says a new report. Around 16 million people in 8 countries, from France in the west to Hungary in the east, live around the mountain range and rely on rivers originating from the range for water. The report from the Convention on the Protection of the Alps warns not only that the destruction of the Alps is speeding up, but that disruption to water supplies could also be felt further afield. Glacier shrinkage led Italy and Switzerland earlier this year to propose changes to the border line between the two countries, the first time this has happened in more than a century.