The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP) to address the alarming rate of glacier loss driven by climate change.
Along with UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the initiative aims to protect these critical freshwater sources, which serve more than 2 billion people globally.
Glaciers and ice sheets hold 70% of the world’s freshwater but their rapid melting poses an urgent environmental and humanitarian crisis.
“Melting ice and glaciers threaten long-term water security for many millions of people. This international year must be a wake-up call to the world,” stated WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
The crisis is stark
In 2023, glaciers recorded their greatest water loss in 50 years, with all glaciated regions experiencing ice loss. Switzerland alone lost 10% of its glacier mass between 2022 and 2023.
UNESCO warns that one-third of glacier sites at its heritage locations could vanish by 2050.
Key IYGP initiatives include raising awareness of glaciers’ role in regulating the climate, improving scientific research and integrating glacier preservation into global climate policies, such as the Paris Agreement.
Financial mobilisation and local community engagement are also top priorities.
Significant milestones include World Glacier Day on 21 March 2025 and an International Glacier Preservation Conference in May, hosted by Tajikistan.
The IYGP aims to unify global efforts, ensuring a future where glaciers and the vital resources they provide, are preserved.
