On March 21, the United Nations officially declares the first one Glacier World Day. The simultaneous event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the United Nations Educational and Science Agency (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris will bring together glaciologists, policymakers and the media to focus on the issue of glaciation melting.
These efforts are driven by recognition of the important role glaciers play for ecosystems, tourism, indigenous peoples and freshwater supplies. 70% of the world’s freshwater is stored in ice and snow. Glacier meltwater forms an important source of drinking water 2 billion people. Rising temperatures are changes in the water system. According to global weather organizations in 2023 (WMO) Reportthe glacier lost 600 gigatons of water. This is the biggest measurement in 50 years. In the 1970s and 1980s, glaciers in most areas were either well balanced or slightly negative. In 2022 and 2023, all glacial areas reported ice losses. The decline has led to increased landslides, downstream flooding and sea level rise. For countries with glaciers, communities living downstream of glaciers, or populations at risk of rising sea levels, these increases are pressing issues.
Glacier World Day forms part of a broader campaign that brings glacial preservation and support for glacial science to the forefront of international diplomatic dialogue. After the adoption of the December 2022 resolution Proposed by the Tajikistan governmentUN has been designated in 2025. International Year of Glacier Preservation 2025-2034 as a 10-year action for frozen science. UNESCO and WMO are leading the implementation of these campaigns.
WMO science officer Sulagna Mishra told GlacierHub that designating a day for a glacier is intended to promote advocacy, raise awareness and encourage mobilization of research funds. These short-term objectives are scaffolded by long-term designated years and decades that seek to provide a platform for bringing together different NGOs, stakeholders and funders.
The main cause of glacial retreats is increased average temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Without the direct ability to reduce global emissions, these international campaigns cannot preserve glaciers. The impact must be brought about as a result of paying attention to the importance of glacial melting. Lisa DaleMA Director of the Climate and Social Program at the Columbia School of Climate and Social Programme told the Glacier Hub “UN Year will make a huge difference in disaster-related outcomes related to glacial melts.” But she said there may be “adjacent advantages.”
One of these benefits is intergovernmental organizations that specialize in the frigid cold. Anil Mishra, chief of UNESCO’s climate change and adaptation waterway system, said the successful outcome of 10 years of frozen sphere science could be the establishment of a similar body. International Hydrology Programthe only UN organization that manages intergovernmental cooperation on water-related issues. Despite the geopolitical problems caused by the melting of glaciers, there is currently no body equivalent to the UN freeze zone.
Part of the UNESCO and WMO strategy is to piggy back to previous successes from similar initiatives. For example, the International Hydrology Program was established in 1975 by the United Nations Campaign, following the decade of International Hydrology. Similarly, World Water Development ReportAnnual surveys on water-related issues are published annually. World Water Day. UNESCO dedicates its 2025 report to the issue of melting glaciers. World Water Day will be held on March 22nd, with the theme “Glacier Preservation.”
March 20thUNESCO headquarters in Paris, scientists and experts will lead brainstorming sessions on frozen zone observation research and science. The session will be a financial session sponsored by the Asian Development Bank, focusing on the socioeconomic impacts of glacial melting, policy and education. In Paris, UNESCO Director Audrey Azurey opened the event on March 21, followed by a roundtable discussion from government ministers representing Tajikistan, France and Italy, followed by a delegation of Latin America, Africa and Arab countries. These sessions are open to all, and are intended to share best practices regarding mitigation and adaptation to glacier melts.
At the UN headquarters in New York, the event on March 21 will feature comments from its UN Secretary-General, WMO Secretary-General and its permanent mission to the United Nations Tajikistan. World Glacier Day and World Water Day are celebrated, with experts on each topic leading the panel discussion. Unlike UNESCO events in Paris, this event is not open to the public.
Paris and New York events International Conference It will be hosted in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, from May 29th to June 1st. The head of the delegation will issue a political statement. Participants are invited to a field trip to observe examples of glacial degradation and sustainable development.
Tajikistan is particularly at risk of glacial melting. It has already lost over 1,000 glaciers, it will have a major impact on the country within it 80% of agricultural production It comes from irrigated land. It emits relatively small amounts of greenhouse gases, most of which are derived from renewable energy sources, particularly hydroelectric power generation. Tajikistan suffers from the effects of climate change caused by much larger emitters, but has little power to directly affect these global emissions.
At current levels of warming, most glaciers are trapped in years of melting. Outlined by UNESCO and WMO Several important initiatives For international years of glacial preservation, this increased glacial melting is adapted to. These include expanding glacial monitoring and early warning systems, sustainable water management programs, and preservation of glaciers-related cultural heritage.
These objectives are small compared to the root cause of the problem, but they can have implications.
Scott BarrettProfessor of Natural Resources Economics at the International School of Public Relations in Colombia, Lenfest Earth Research Institute, made the following comparisons: He told GlacierHub in 1965 that the White House was looking for a program that could be presented as a contribution to the United Nations Year of International Cooperation. [Donald Henderson, an American physician] We proposed a five-year plan for a natural PO eradication and measles control program… it was approved by President Lyndon Johnson… [and] We achieved our goal in 1977. ” Similarly, the UN’s attempts to draw attention to glacier preservation can be fruitful. The question is whether you can find the right kind of support.
