UNESCO and WMO announce start of International Year of Glacier Conservation in 2025

By Alimat Aliyeva

UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have officially announced the launch of the International Year of Glacier Conservation, marking a pivotal moment in global efforts to protect the vital glaciers that provide fresh water to over 2 billion people worldwide.

Throughout the year, this global and coordinated initiative will aim to raise awareness about the crucial role glaciers play in the planet’s water cycle and to address the urgent challenges posed by the accelerating pace of glacier melting.

Approximately 70 percent of the world’s freshwater reserves are stored in glaciers and ice sheets. However, these ice formations are rapidly receding due to climate change. The conservation of these critical resources is essential to ensure environmental sustainability, economic stability, and the preservation of agriculture and livelihoods that depend on glacier-fed water sources.

In recognition of the significance of glaciers to global water security, the UN General Assembly declared 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Conservation. This initiative is designed to highlight the vital role glaciers, snow, and ice play in the climate system and the hydrological cycle, as well as the far-reaching consequences of their rapid disappearance.

UNESCO and the WMO are leading the international efforts to coordinate this initiative, supported by over 75 international organizations and 35 countries. On January 21, a special event was held at the WMO headquarters in Geneva to officially launch the initiative. Additionally, the first World Glacier Day will take place on March 20-21 at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris. On this occasion, UNESCO will release its World Report on the State of Water Resources, which will be dedicated to glacier conservation. The report will present new data on glacier retreat and outline measures being taken to address this urgent issue.

Glaciers are not only essential for providing fresh water, but they also act as natural time capsules, offering invaluable data to scientists about historical climatic processes, atmospheric composition, and even human activity over millennia. Their loss leads to the disappearance of unique ecosystems and biodiversity that developed in these specialized environments.
As glaciers retreat, they decrease the availability and quality of water downstream, impacting ecosystems and sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water supplies. This process also contributes to an increase in natural disasters like landslides, avalanches, floods, and droughts, posing a long-term threat to the safety of water supplies for billions of people.

In addition to their environmental and economic significance, glaciers also have immense cultural and scientific value. They are crucial in shaping regional weather patterns and influencing global sea levels. Their rapid disappearance underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive global response to combat climate change and protect these irreplaceable natural resources.