The Mountain Youth Hub, in partnership with the Mountain Partnership, organized the side event "Voices of Glaciers: Youth Stories and Solutions for Glacier Preservation" on 21 January 2025, to kick off the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP 2025). The event highlighted the importance of amplifying youth voices and fostering meaningful dialogue around innovative, youth-led solutions for glacier preservation. It underscored the urgent need for collaborative conservation efforts to protect glaciers and the ecosystems they sustain.
The session featured youth leaders sharing stories and innovative solutions for glacier preservation across mountain regions such as Central Asia, the Andes, and the Himalayas.
Rosalaura Romeo, Mountain Partnership Secretariat, emphasized the critical role of glaciers for mountain communities, providing water, sustaining livelihoods, and holding cultural significance. She highlighted the importance of IYGP 2025 and of elevating the voices of mountain communities in global discussions. She stressed the need for youth inclusion in decision-making to foster collective action for sustainability and resilience.
Hangoma Kokulova from Tajikistan highlighted the challenges posed by glacier melt and mass movements in mountainous regions. She stressed the need for integrating urban planning with environmental sustainability and advocated for youth-led innovations like sponge cities and machine learning for glacier monitoring. Kokulova called for greater investment in youth education and capacity building to foster resilient, sustainable urban development in mountain areas.
Juan Cruz Ghilardi Truffa from Argentina discussed his research on the Andes glaciers, where rising temperatures threaten water supplies for 2.8 million people. His team studies debris-covered glaciers and their impact on water flow and climate change using sensors, numerical modeling, and remote sensing. Ghilardi called for improved education, reduced CO2 emissions, and stronger environmental policies to protect glaciers.
Kiara Aguirre Falcón from Peru presented a nature-based solution for treating acid drainage from glacier retreat in the Cordillera Blanca, where 68 percent of the world's tropical glaciers are melting. A constructed wetland at high altitudes improved water quality and supported agricultural reuse, offering a scalable model for similar challenges.
Tashi Lhazom from Nepal highlighted the role of storytelling and filmmaking in raising climate change awareness, especially for marginalized communities. Documentaries help humanize complex issues, bridge scientific data with public understanding, and amplify the voices of those most affected, like Indigenous Peoples and local mountain communities. She advocated for climate justice, cultural preservation, and collective action.
Marggiori Elizabeth Pancorbo Olivera concluded the session with remarks that underscored the urgency of addressing glacier melt, a key contributor to water security and climate stability while calling for innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to mitigate impacts and safeguard communities reliant on glaciers.
In conclusion, to preserve glaciers and enhance climate resilience, it is vital to include youth in decision-making, invest in their education, and encourage glacier research. Expanding nature-based solutions, like constructed wetlands, and raising awareness through storytelling can amplify marginalized voices. Collaborative partnerships among governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, and youth organizations are key to innovative solutions, along with sustainable urban planning to mitigate climate change impacts on glaciers and mountains.
Written by The Mountain Youth Hub