The rapid melting of glaciers could lead to their disappearance by the end of the 21st century, threatening water sources, agriculture, and biodiversity for millions, according to a new UNESCO report.
Five of the last six years have recorded the fastest glacier retreat, and the period from 2022 to 2024 has seen the largest three-year glacier mass loss ever recorded.
At current melting rates, many glaciers in regions such as Western Canada, the United States (U.S.), Scandinavia, Central Europe, the Caucasus, New Zealand, and the Tropics are expected to disappear by the end of the 21st century.
According to global observations, glaciers – excluding the continental ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica – have lost more than 9.000 billion tons of ice since record-keeping began in 1975.
“This is equivalent to a massive ice block the size of Germany with a thickness of 25 meters,” said Michael Zemp, director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service.
The reduction of glaciers and decreased snowfall in mountain regions, caused by the climate crisis, is expected to impact two-thirds of global irrigation.
As high mountain regions, known as the world’s water towers, store water in glaciers that support hundreds of millions of people downstream, glacier depletion threatens water supplies and increases natural hazards such as floods, especially during the hottest and driest periods.
The report emphasizes the need for climate adaptation funding and the involvement of the private sector to protect water, agriculture, and energy infrastructure in mountain regions.
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation and March 21st as World Glacier Day to highlight the crucial role of glaciers, snow, and ice in the climate system and global economies, AA writes.
