Article published by UN News, January 2025.
As glaciers disappear at an alarming rate due to climate change, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP). Co-facilitated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this global initiative seeks to unite efforts worldwide to protect these vital water sources, which provide freshwater to more than 2 billion people.
Glaciers and ice sheets hold around 70 per cent of the world's freshwater and their rapid loss presents an urgent environmental and humanitarian crisis. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised this urgency, saying:
“Melting ice and glaciers threaten long-term water security for many millions of people. This international year must be a wake-up call to the world.”
Alarming data
In 2023, glaciers experienced their greatest water loss in over 50 years, marking the second consecutive year in which all glaciated regions worldwide reported ice loss. Switzerland, for instance, saw their glaciers lose 10 per cent of their total mass between 2022 and 2023, according to the WMO. With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the need for immediate and decisive action has never been more critical.
2025 key initiatives
A key focus, the panel explained, is raising global awareness about the essential role glaciers, snow and ice play in regulating the climate and supporting ecosystems and communities. The initiative also aims to enhance scientific understanding through programmes like the Global Cryosphere Watch, ensuring that data guides effective climate action.
Strengthening policy frameworks is another priority, with the integration of glacier preservation into global and national climate strategies, such as the Paris Agreement. Mobilising financial resources is also a priority – essential to support vulnerable communities and fund adaptation and mitigation efforts – alongside engaging youth and local communities.
Challenges ahead
According to the policy brief on the IYGP:
“Some level of glacier loss remains inevitable given current loss rates, which modelling shows will continue until temperatures stabilise.”
“We must prepare for cryospheric destruction through urgent policy changes”
Explained Dr. John Pomeroy from the University of Saskatchewan. These efforts will require global cooperation, particularly in regions like Central Asia, where glacier loss has led to significant water security challenges.
These are extracts from an article published by UN News, January 2025. To read the full article, complete with figures, follow the link here.