ISTANBUL

Rapid glacier melt could lead to their disappearance by the end of the 21st century, endangering water sources, agriculture, and biodiversity for millions, according to a new UNESCO report.

Five of the last six years have seen the fastest glacier retreat, with 2022-2024 marking the largest three-year loss of glacier mass ever recorded.

At current melt rates, many glaciers in regions such as Western Canada, the US, Scandinavia, Central Europe, the Caucasus, New Zealand, and the Tropics are expected to disappear by the end of the 21st century.

According to global observations, glaciers – excluding the continental ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica – have lost over 9,000 billion tons of ice since records started in 1975.

“This is equivalent to a huge ice block of the size of Germany with a thickness of 25 meters (82 feet),” said Michael Zemp, director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service.

Receding glaciers and reduced snowfall in mountain regions, driven by the climate crisis, are expected to affect two-thirds of global irrigated agriculture.

As high mountain regions, known as the world’s water towers, store water in glaciers that support hundreds of millions downstream, glacier depletion threatens water supplies and increases natural hazards like floods, especially during the hottest and driest periods.

The report stresses the need for climate adaptation funding and private sector involvement to protect mountain regions' water, agriculture, and energy infrastructure.

The UN General Assembly designated 2025 the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and Friday, March 21 World Day for Glaciers to highlight the critical role of glaciers, snow, and ice in the climate system and global economies.