Mountain Partnership

The International Year of Glaciers' Preservation 2025

Glaciers are essential for regulating the global climate and providing freshwater, supporting billions of people worldwide. However, due to climate change, these vital resources are melting at an alarming rate.

In response, the United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (IYGP 2025) and designated 21 March as the World Day for Glaciers. This initiative aims to draw global attention to the importance of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate system, as well as the economic, social and environmental impacts of their loss. It also highlights the crucial role of high mountain areas as key sources of freshwater and ecosystem services for communities around the world.

Mountain regions, home to many of the world’s most prominent glaciers, act as natural water towers that sustain ecosystems and populations both upstream and downstream. Preserving these fragile environments is vital for maintaining biodiversity, mitigating climate impacts, supporting mountain livelihoods, and ensuring water security.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization are facilitating the implementation of IYGP 2025 and the World Day for Glaciers, in collaboration with governments and relevant organizations. An Advisory Board and four Task Forces, representing over 75 international organizations and 35 countries, are overseeing the coordination of activities. The Mountain Partnership Secretariat leads the task force for the IYGP 2025 global campaign.

The Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034)

To complement IYGP 2025, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025–2034 as the "Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences" to address the challenges posed by changes in Earth’s frozen regions. Led by UNESCO, the decade will focus on advancing scientific research and fostering global climate action to address the impacts of a rapidly changing cryosphere.

  • Glaciers are critical to life.
    A glacier is a massive accumulation of ice and snow that forms on land and flows under its own weight. Found on every continent, glaciers are abundant in mountain regions and near the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. With over 275,000 glaciers covering 700,000 km², they store about 70% of the world's freshwater, acting as vital water towers and sustaining life for people, animals, and plants.
  • Melting snow and ice from mountains are critical for freshwater supply in many regions.
    Runoff from glaciers, snow and ice is essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry and clean energy. However, shrinking glaciers and reduced snow cover decrease water availability, which can lead to increased competition for resources.

  • Glaciers support the livelihoods and economies of billions around the world.
    More than 2 billion people, including many Indigenous Peoples, rely on melt from glaciers and snow for their freshwater, including for their food security, livelihood, cultural and domestic needs. Declining glaciers also have global economic impacts, affecting sectors like agriculture, hydropower, tourism, trade, and transportation.
  • Glaciers are sensitive indicators of climate change and are retreating globally due to rising temperatures.
    Glaciers have been retreating with accelerated speed as the world warms rapidly due to increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Higher global temperatures lead to shorter accumulation seasons and less snowfall and more rainfall, disrupting ecosystems and reshaping landscapes.

  • Melting glaciers, thawing permafrost and other cryospheric changes create new hazards and exacerbate existing ones.
    Glacial retreat increases risks of disasters like glacier lake outburst floods, landslides and enhanced erosion, threatening downstream communities and vulnerable transport and energy infrastructure.

  • Immediate, ambitious action to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations is needed to stabilize the climate and preserve glaciers.
    Policies must prioritize reducing emissions and adopting sustainable adaptation strategies to protect glaciers and the ecosystems they support.

  • Youth inclusion can drive collective action and lead the way forward.Youth are a driving force for societal change, pushing for climate action, sustainability and dignity for all. The meaningful engagement of young people in decision-making and policymaking processes can ensure greater diversity, inclusion and representation.

  • Glaciers have cultural and spiritual significance.Glaciers are considered the abode of gods and spirits by Indigenous Peoples in Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and East Africa. The disappearance of glaciers would result in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and spiritual connection to the landscape and nature.

  • Vanishing glaciers are impacting mountain tourism.Rapid glacial recession is impacting high mountain tourism and recreation in many regions around the world, with impacts on culture and livelihoods. Glaciers act as ‘pathways’ into the high mountains, utilized by climbers to access high peaks. As glaciers become shorter and thinner, access becomes more difficult and hazardous. 
  • Glacier monitoring provides critical data for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.Glaciers have been monitored for over 130 years; however, significant gaps remain, particularly in high mountain regions. Expanding monitoring, improving data sharing, and enhancing prediction services are crucial for addressing risks and impacts effectively.
  • Glaciers are a crucial testimony of the Earth’s history.In their ice, glaciers contain an important record of the past climate and environment. The disappearance of glaciers results in the irreversible loss of unique archives of human, environmental, and climate history. Ice memory should be preserved as a scientific heritage and historical record for future generations.