Global Glacier Disappearance

Glaciers worldwide are melting at unprecedented rates, with the most significant glacial mass loss recorded over the past three years, as per a UNESCO report dated March 21, 2025.

Key Findings

• Approximately 9,000 gigatonnes of ice have been lost since 1975, comparable to an ice block the size of Germany, 25 meters thick.
• In 2024 alone, glaciers lost 450 gigatonnes of mass.
• Glacier loss is a major contributor to global sea level rise, threatening millions with floods and disrupting water resources.
• There are about 275,000 glaciers globally, constituting about 70% of the world's freshwater along with the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets.

Impact of Climate Change

Climate change, driven by fossil fuel combustion, is accelerating glacial melt, worsening economic, environmental, and social issues globally.

• Rising temperatures intensify droughts and natural hazards like avalanches, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
• Mountain communities, home to about 1.1 billion people, face the immediate impacts of glacial loss.

Regional Impact

• In East Africa, glaciers are predicted to vanish by 2030, affecting local communities spiritually and physically.
• Glacial melt here has intensified water-related conflicts, despite minimal global impacts.
• Melting mountain glaciers have raised global sea levels by 18 mm from 2000 to 2023, exposing up to 300,000 people annually to flooding per millimeter rise.

Call to Action

There is an urgent need for improved scientific research, better observational systems, forecasts, and early warning systems to protect these crucial water sources.

• The UNESCO summit coincided with the first World Day for Glaciers, emphasizing global efforts to preserve glacier ecosystems.