International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation

Feature image: Stunning view of the Perito Moreno Glacier with ice formations in Argentina’s Patagonia. Credit: Photo by Alberto Vivas from Pexels.

Melting glaciers push our planet and people toward instability. 

To highlight their vital role and drive urgent action, UNESCO and the WMO have declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP). This also marks the start of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Science (2025–2034).

IYGP at a glance: 

• Glaciers store 70% of Earth’s freshwater, sustaining billions and supporting vital industries. Their rapid melting threatens water security, ecosystems, and economies. 
• Bold action is needed to cut emissions, stabilise the climate, and preserve glaciers for a sustainable future. 
• Year of action: events, outreach, and advocacy.
• Key Dates:
  • 21st March 2025: World Day for Glaciers and IYGP
  • 22nd March 2025: World Water Day, this year’s theme is ‘Glacier Preservation’ 

Glaciers are disappearing at record rates, disrupting water supplies, food production, and entire economies. Below, we explore how glacial melt is destabilising freshwater resources, amplifying extreme weather, and accelerating the climate crisis.

A Global Call to Action to Guard Our Glaciers

What are glaciers? 

Glaciers are massive, slow-moving ice rivers formed by compacted snow over time. Found in mountains and polar regions, they store freshwater and shape landscapes as they move.

Glacier Lifecycle

• Formation: Snow accumulates, compresses, and turns into ice.
• Movement: Gravity slowly pulls the glacier downhill.
• Melting & Retreat: Ice melts or evaporates, causing the glacier to shrink.
• Calving: Chunks of ice break off into the ocean, forming icebergs.

Glaciers: The Lifeline of Freshwater and Food Security

Glaciers store 70% of Earth’s freshwater, sustaining nearly 2 billion people. Their meltwater feeds major rivers like the Indus, Ganges, and Yangtze, supporting drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower. However, as glaciers shrink, water availability becomes unpredictable, threatening water and food security. 

In South Asia, 130 million farmers rely on glacier-fed rivers to grow rice, wheat, and cotton. Faster-than-normal melting reduces meltwater availability, increasing reliance on groundwater, which is rapidly depleting. In Europe, shrinking Alpine glaciers are disrupting river flows, reducing irrigation water, and increasing drought risks. 

Beyond agriculture, glacial loss impacts hydropower and mountain tourism, destabilising economies. As the frozen reservoirs of the world disappear, billions face growing risks to their water, food, and livelihoods.

Glaciers Are Barometers of the Climate Crisis, Just Like the Poles

In 2023, glaciers experienced their highest mass loss in 50 years of recorded history. 

More than 275,000 glaciers worldwide spanning approximately 700,000 km² have been rapidly shrinking due to increased greenhouse gas emissions and our warming climate (the Arctic is warming on average 4x faster than the rest of the planet). 

Rapid glacial retreat is a consequence of rising global temperatures, which shorten accumulation seasons, reduce snowfall, and increase rainfall. Glacial recession drives sea-level rise, up 21 cm since 1900, threatening water and coastal communities worldwide with erosion, flooding and other extreme weather events worldwide. 

Melting glaciers aren’t an isolated issue – see the latest data by clicking here. They signal the broader escalating crises of Arctic transformation and of global climate change. And we know What Happens in the Arctic Doesn’t Stay in the Arctic. Our polar regions should be considered as control centres for climate risk mitigation. Explore our Control Center for Global Climate Risks to see how these issues are connected and what’s at stake. 

Melting Glaciers Increase Disaster Risks

As glaciers shrink and permafrost thaws, the stability of mountain slopes weakens, triggering landslides, floods, and erosion. In high-altitude and Arctic regions, retreating ice exposes unstable terrain, increasing the risk of sudden collapses. 

One major threat is glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)—when meltwater lakes overflow or burst through weakened ice dams, sending destructive torrents downstream. These floods endanger communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems, often with little warning. 

Additionally, increased glacier melt contributes to sea level rise, intensifying river flooding, worsening coastal storms and amplifying the impacts of hurricanes and cyclones. As the cryosphere changes, extreme weather events—from inland floods to coastal disasters—become more frequent and severe, putting millions at greater risk. 

Iceberger Tool

Did you know that icebergs form by breaking off from melting glaciers? Use this interactive tool to explore how they float and what that means for our changing world!