According to the UN, saving glaciers is a “survival strategy” for the globe due to their vital role in supplying fresh water to over two billion people worldwide. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Unesco, saving glaciers is essential to ecosystems, economies, and planetary health, as they currently hold 70% of the Earth’s freshwater and cover an area of around 700,000 square kilometres.

WMO Deputy Chief Ko Barrett stressed the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, cautioning that rising carbon dioxide levels will accelerate the melting of glaciers. Barrett emphasised that maintaining glaciers is essential to human and planetary survival and is not solely an environmental concern.

Rising Temperatures and Glacier Meltdown

Global warming, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is causing glaciers from the Himalayas to the Alps to melt rapidly. The WMO stated that, for the past two years, global temperatures had temporarily exceeded the critical 1.5°C warming threshold, and glaciers suffered their largest volume loss in 50 years in 2023.

Stefan Uhlenbrook, chief of WMO’s hydrology, water, and cryosphere unit, called the situation “really dramatic.” He noted that while glaciers are found in Unesco World Heritage sites, despite efforts to regulate temperatures, a third of these glaciers are expected to vanish by 2050. According to Unesco, maintaining global warming below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels is crucial to preserving the remaining glaciers.

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Climate Action and Policy Needs for Saving Glaciers

The UN’s International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation began in Geneva, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement. Critics argue this move undermines global efforts to combat climate change and may embolden major emitters like China and India to weaken their commitments.

John Pomeroy, a professor at Canada’s Saskatchewan University, stated that rejecting climate change would not stop its effects, as rising heat will continue to melt glaciers. He called for immediate policy reforms, expanded measurements, and early warning systems to manage droughts and floods, noting that restoring glaciers could take decades.

Unesco and WMO emphasised that rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are critical to slowing glacial melt and ensuring the survival of these essential resources.

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