The year 2025 has been declared the International Year of Glacier Preservation, aimed at fostering global awareness and action against glacier loss.

This initiative seeks to promote international cooperation and highlight the urgent need to combat glacier loss and its far-reaching consequences.

The loss of glaciers poses a significant threat to freshwater resources, exacerbating the global water crisis, especially in regions reliant on glacier meltwater for drinking and irrigation.

Accelerated glacier melting presents humanitarian challenges, impacting water availability and leading to scarcity and agricultural issues in critical areas like the Andes and Himalayas.

According to a UNESCO report from 2022, approximately 18,600 glaciers worldwide are at risk of disappearing by 2050, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

Venezuela has become the first country to lose all its glaciers, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing crisis of glacier loss due to climate change.

Between 2002 and 2022, glaciers lost an astonishing 14,557 cubic kilometers of volume, which is equivalent to 150 times the volume of Lake Geneva, with Antarctica and Greenland experiencing the fastest rates of melting.

This global glacier melting is accelerating, significantly contributing to rising sea levels and coastal erosion, which poses additional risks to communities worldwide.

A catastrophic glacier collapse in Switzerland on May 28, 2025, nearly obliterated the village of Blatten, highlighting the dangers of mountain tsunamis resulting from glacier melting.

Immediate global action is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable practices to protect both human livelihoods and ecosystems that depend on glaciers.