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Global Glacier Loss
Context
A new UNESCO report, "The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers," highlights the alarming rate of changes in mountain ecosystems due to global warming. Released on March 21 to mark the first-ever World Day for Glaciers, the report details how rising temperatures are drastically altering mountain landscapes.
Key Findings
- Since 1975, glaciers (excluding Greenland and Antarctica) have lost over 9,000 billion tonnes of ice—equivalent to a 25-meter-thick ice block covering Germany.
- Wildfires and dust storms are accelerating melting by depositing black carbon and particulate matter on glaciers, making them absorb more heat.
- In 2024 alone, glaciers lost 450 gigatons of mass, with regions such as Scandinavia and North Asia experiencing record-breaking losses.
- Glacier melt contributes to 25-30% of global sea-level rise. Between 2006 and 2016, glacier mass loss led to an increase of 1 mm in sea level per year, potentially exposing 300,000 people annually to flooding.
- Accelerating Permafrost Thaw: Permafrost, the permanently frozen ground, is melting at an increased rate, releasing large amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere and exacerbating climate change.
- Mountain permafrost stores 4.5% of global soil organic carbon, and its thawing contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
- Thawing permafrost destabilizes landscapes, increasing the risk of landslides and infrastructure collapse.
- Declining Snow Cover: Snow cover in most mountain regions has declined, particularly during spring and summer, and is projected to shrink further.
- Erratic Snowfall Patterns: The elevation at which snowfall occurs is shifting upwards due to warming.
Why Does This Matter?
- Around 2 billion people depend on mountain water from glaciers. If glaciers continue to melt at the current rate, water supply from these "water towers" will become erratic, affecting agriculture, drinking water, and hydropower.
- Melting glaciers and permafrost thaw increase the likelihood of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)—sudden and destructive floods caused by the collapse of natural ice dams.
- In the past 200 years, GLOFs have resulted in over 12,000 deaths and severe damage to infrastructure, homes, and farmlands.
Key Concepts
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