Glaciers around the globe are disappearing faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the largest glacial mass loss on record, according to a UNESCO report.

• The report coincides with a UNESCO summit in Paris marking the first World Day for Glaciers, urging global action to protect glaciers around the world.

About Glaciers

• Glaciers are persistent bodies of ice that slowly flow downhill due to gravity. 
• They form over time as accumulated snow compresses into dense ice. 
• Found primarily in polar regions and high-altitude mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Alps, and Andes, glaciers play a vital role in Earth’s climate and water systems.
• There are more than 200 000 glaciers in the world, covering an area of area of around 700 000 km²
• Glaciers gain mass through accumulation processes such as snowfall and sediment deposition and lose mass through ablation processes such as melting and evaporation.

Key Findings of the Report

• Scale of Ice Loss: 9,000 gigatonnes of ice lost since 1975—equivalent to an ice block the size of Germany with a 25-meter thickness.
• Recent Glacier Loss Trends: Five of the last six years recorded the highest glacier losses.
• Loss in 2024: 450 gigatonnes of glacial mass lost in 2024 alone.
• Worst Affected Region: The Arctic, Alps, South America, and Tibetan Plateau are among the worst-affected regions.

Causes of Accelerated Glacial Melt

• Climate Change as the Primary Driver: Rising global temperatures, largely due to fossil fuel emissions, are causing glaciers to melt at unprecedented rates.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Increased carbon dioxide and methane levels trap heat in the atmosphere, intensifying ice loss.

Consequences of Glacial Melt

• Rising Sea Levels: Melting glaciers are one of the biggest contributors to sea level rise.

• Water Scarcity: Glacier-fed rivers provide freshwater for billions; their decline threatens drinking water, agriculture, and hydroelectric power.
• More Frequent Natural Disasters: Warming temperatures intensify droughts, avalanches, landslides, flash floods, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
• Threats to Mountain Communities: Over 1.1 billion people in mountain regions face water shortages and heightened risks from natural disasters.
• Cultural and Spiritual Loss: Indigenous communities, like Uganda’s Bakonzo people, revere glaciers as sacred; their disappearance erodes cultural identity.
• Rising Conflicts Over Water: In regions like East Africa, dwindling glacial water has already sparked disputes over access to vital resources.
• Accelerating Climate Instability: The loss of glaciers disrupts global weather patterns, impacting ecosystems and food security.
• Increased Flooding Risks: Every 1 mm of sea level rise puts up to 300,000 people at risk of annual flooding.

Way Forward

• Strengthening Scientific Research: Expand glacier monitoring programs using satellite and on-ground observations to track changes accurately.
• Improving Early Warning Systems: Deploy advanced forecasting tools to predict glacial hazards like avalanches and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
• Enhancing Climate Action: Enforce stricter emission reduction targets and accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources.
  • Example: Strengthen global commitments like the Paris Agreement to limit temperature rise and protect glaciers.
• Sustainable Water Management: Develop adaptive water storage and distribution systems to counteract the loss of glacier-fed freshwater sources.

Conclusion

Glaciers are vital freshwater reservoirs, but their rapid decline due to climate change poses severe environmental and socio-economic risks. Urgent global action is needed to mitigate their loss and safeguard future water security.

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