Peshawar:UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have officially launched the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation 2025 on January 21, marking a crucial milestone in global efforts to protect these essential water towers that provide fresh water to over 2 billion people worldwide.
According to a press release issued on Wednesday, through a joint collaboration numerous activities and events during the year will be organized to raise global awareness about the critical role of glaciers in the climate system and hydrological cycle, while addressing the urgent challenges posed by accelerated glacier melting.
More than 275,000 glaciers worldwide cover approximately 700,000 km. Glaciers and ice sheets store about 70% of the global freshwater. However, these ice formations are rapidly retreating due to climate change.
The preservation of these crucial resources is essential not only for environmental sustainability, but also for economic stability and safeguarding cultural services and livelihoods.
Secretary-General WMO, Celeste Saulo said that the World Meteorological Organization recently confirmed that 2024 was the warmest year on record and has sounded repeated Red Alerts about the state of our climate, including the retreat of glaciers.
In 2023, glaciers suffered the largest mass loss in the five decades of record-keeping. It was the second consecutive year in which all regions in the world with glaciers reported ice loss.
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.
"The preservation of glaciers stands as one of humanity's most urgent challenges. These ancient ice formations are not just frozen water - they are the guardians of our planet's climate history, the source of life for billions, and sacred places for many cultures. Their rapid disappearance is a stark reminder that we must act now,' said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation in December 2022, and established March 21st as the annual World Day for Glaciers.
It seeks to increase awareness of the vital role glaciers, snow, and ice play in the climate system and hydrological cycle, as well as the far-reaching impacts of rapid glacial melt and their impacts on economies and communities.
UNESCO and WMO are leading the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and will coordinate international efforts supported by over 75 international organizations and 35 countries.
The initiative focuses on several critical areas like expanding global glacier monitoring systems to enhance data collection and analysis, developing early warning systems for glacier-related hazards, promoting sustainable water resource management in glacier-dependent regions, preserving cultural heritage and traditional knowledge related to glacial environments and engaging youth in glacier preservation efforts and climate action.
'Glaciers don't care if we believe in science - they just melt in the heat for all to see,' said John Pomeroy, co-chair of the Advisory Board and a professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
'Our 'frozen water' has acted like millions of small dams, holding back water until the snow or glaciers melt - right when we needed it, he added.
Glaciers also contain irreplaceable archives of human, environmental, and climate history, preserving crucial records of Earth's past within their ancient ice.
These frozen time capsules provide scientists with invaluable data about historical climate patterns, atmospheric composition, and even human activity spanning thousands of years. Their disappearance threatens not only water security but also results in the loss of unique ecosystems and biodiversity that have evolved in these specialized environments.
For Indigenous Peoples across Asia, Latin America, the Pacific, and East Africa, glaciers hold profound cultural and spiritual significance, often considered sacred spaces and the abode of deities.
The loss of these ice formations would mean the irreversible disappearance of sites central to cultural heritage and spiritual practices that have been recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Governments, scientific institutions, private sector organizations, and civil society are invited to join this global effort. Through collaborative action and increased awareness, we can work together to preserve these vital resources for future generations.
