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UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) have officially launched the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, marking a crucial milestone in global efforts to protect the vital ice that provides freshwater to over 2 billion people.
This global and coordinated initiative throughout the year will seek to highlight about the critical role of glaciers and address the urgent challenges posed by accelerated glacier melt.
Around 70% of the global freshwater is stored in glaciers and ice sheets, however these ice formations are rapidly retreating due to climate disruption. Preserving these crucial resources is essential for environmental sustainability, economic stability and safeguarding cultures and livelihoods.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation to raise awareness on the vital role glaciers, snow, and ice play in the climate system and water cycle, as well as the far-reaching impacts of rapid glacial melt.
UNESCO and WMO are the lead agencies coordinating these international efforts supported by over 75 international organisations and 35 countries. WMO hosted the launch event at its Geneva headquarters on Tuesday, January 21, while UNESCO will host celebrations of the very first World Day for Glaciers at its Paris headquarters from March 20 to 21. On this occasion, UNESCO will dedicate its World Water Report to the issue of glaciers, with new data on their disappearance and the measures put in place deal with this challenge.
“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.
“WMO 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,” said Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO.
The International Year of Glacier Preservation will focus on several critical areas:
- 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
- Engaging youth in glacier preservation efforts and climate action
‘Water towers of the world‘
Glaciers supply freshwater to over half of humanity. As they retreat they are altering water availability and quality downstream, with implications for aquatic ecosystems and sectors including agriculture and hydropower. This is accompanied by a short-term in landslides, avalanches, floods and droughts, as well as a long-term threat to the security of water supplies for billions of people.
As frozen time capsules of the earth’s past, glaciers provide scientists with invaluable data about historical climate patterns, atmospheric composition, and even human activity spanning thousands of years. Their disappearance also results in the loss of unique ecosystems and biodiversity that have evolved in these specialised environments.
For Indigenous Peoples especially, 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 recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 will mobilise governments, scientific institutions, private sector organisations, and civil society to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement effective adaptation strategies. Only through collaborative action and increased awareness will these vital resources be preserved for future generations.
