2025 as International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation

• 18 Jan 2025

For Prelims: United Nations, Glaciers, Equator, Andes, Greenhouse Gas, Phytoplankton, Aquatic Food Chain, Marine Biodiversity, UN Environment, UNESCO, WMO,  Hindu Kush Himalayas, Cryosphere, Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, UN General Assembly, Biodiversity Hotspots, Coastal Erosion, Cyclones, Polar Vortex, Jet Stream, Northern Sea Route, Pioneering Species, International Water Conference, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS).   

For Mains: Importance of  glaciers’ preservation, threats posed of glacial retreat. 

Source: HT

Why in News?

The United Nations will observe 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, with 21^st March marked annually as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025. 

What are Glaciers? 

• About: Glaciers are large, slow-moving masses of ice formed from compacted snow over centuries. 
  • They form on land and move due to gravity, slowly moving downward. 
• Historical Context: Most glaciers today are remnants of the massive ice sheets that covered Earth during the Ice Age (around 10,000 years ago).  
  • During Earth’s history, there have been glacial periods (or ice ages) when glaciers formed and interglacial periods when glaciers melted. 
• Global Distribution: Most glaciers are found in polar regions such as Greenland, the Canadian Arctic, and Antarctica because of low solar insolation received in higher latitudes. 
  • Tropical glaciers exist in mountain ranges near the Equator, like the Andes in South America at high altitudes. 
  • Approximately 2% of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers. 

• Glaciers Melting: Rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have increased temperatures, especially at the poles, causing glaciers to melt, calve into the sea, and retreat on land.   
  • Even with major emission cuts, over a third of the world’s glaciers will melt by 2100. 
• Importance:  
  • Water Supply:  Glaciers are a vital source of drinking water for millions of people, especially in arid regions.  
    • Glaciers provide up to 27% of the Amu Darya's river flow in late summer, while La Paz (capital of Bolivia), relies on glacial meltwater during dry periods. 
    • In Ladakh, India, artificial glaciers known as ice stupa store water in winter and release it in spring, providing vital irrigation for crops in the cold desert region. 
  • Nutrient Cycling: Glaciers release nutrients that support phytoplankton growth, which forms the foundation of aquatic food chains, affecting marine biodiversity and fisheries. 
  • Climate Regulation: Glaciers play a role in regulating Earth's climate by reflecting sunlight (albedo effect), helping to cool the planet.  
  • Energy Production: Glacial meltwater is harnessed to generate hydroelectric power in countries like Norway, Canada, and New Zealand.  
  • Tourism: Glaciers attract tourists to mountainous regions, supporting cryo biodiversity and providing opportunities for research and education.  

What is the Current Status of Glaciers? 

• Global Glaciers: The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) which tracks 210,000 glaciers show that between 1976 and 2023 a large-scale deglaciation was observed in recent years. 
  • WGMS monitors and assesses the state of glaciers around the world and works under the auspices of the UN Environment, the UNESCO, and the WMO. 
• Regional Glaciers: The Hindu Kush Himalayan cryosphere is warming at twice the global average rate.  
  • The region is most vulnerable to glacial disasters like Glacial Lake Outburst Flood. 
  • The cryosphere refers to the frozen water part of the Earth’s system, encompassing all the areas where water exists in a solid state. 
• Retreat of Glaciers: Experts predict the disappearance of several significant glaciers by 2030, with many larger glaciers splitting into smaller ones. 
  • E.g., Yala Glacier in Nepal’s Langtang Valley and Peyto Glacier in Western Canada have retreated with significant elevation loss. 
    • Humboldt glacier in Venezuela has shrunk significantly and is now classified as an ice field. 
  • The retreat of glaciers means shrinking and disappearing of glaciers. 
• International Response: In December 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution highlighting the urgency of glacier loss and promoting global awareness. 
  • Initiatives like the International Year of Glaciers and World Glacier Day are initiatives in this regard.

Note: There are over 275,000 glaciers globally, covering approximately 700,000 sq km of land. 

• Ice sheets store around 70% of the world’s freshwater, highlighting the importance of glaciers for global water supply. 

Hindu Kush Himalayas 

• About: Hindu Kush Himalayas is a mountain range stretching over 3500 kilometres and across eight countries i.e., Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan. 
  • It is home to all of the world’s peaks above 7,000 metres. 

• Glaciers: HKH has one of the largest volumes of ice and snow outside of the Arctic and Antarctica due to which it is often referred to as the Third Pole. 
• Water Tower of Asia: It is called the ‘Water Tower of Asia’ as it is an important source of water for 12 river basins, including 10 major (transboundary) rivers: 
  • the Amu Darya, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Indus, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Salween, Tarim, Yangtse, and Yellow (Huang He). 
  • They flow through 16 countries in Asia and provide freshwater services to 240 million people living in the HKH region and 1.65 billion downstream. 
• Ecology: It is home to 330 bird and biodiversity areas, including four global biodiversity hotspots i.e., Himalayas, Indo-Burma, mountains of Southwest China, and mountains of Central Asia. 

What are the Impacts of Melting Glaciers? 

• Negative Impacts: 
  • Sea Level Rise: Melting glaciers, particularly from Greenland and Antarctica, significantly contribute to sea level rise leading to coastal erosion and more intense cyclones.  
    • If all glaciers and ice sheets melted, global sea level would rise by more than 195 feet (60 meters). 
  • Weather Pattern Disruptions: Melting ice exposes water surfaces, absorbing more heat and disrupting normal ocean circulation.  
    • This affects global weather patterns, including altering the polar vortex and jet stream, leading to more extreme weather events. 
  • Impacts on Humans: Warming oceans change fish spawning patterns, negatively affecting industries that depend on healthy fisheries disrupting food security and livelihoods. 
    • Coastal communities are increasingly vulnerable to flooding and salt water intrusion. 
  • Wildlife Loss: In the Arctic, melting sea ice is forcing species like walruses and polar bears to move onto land, increasing human-wildlife conflicts.  
    • Arctic sea ice loss could push polar bears to extinction by 2100. 
    • The cryosphere supports specialized ecosystems, such as Arctic tundra (polar bears, Arctic foxes), Antarctic ice sheets (penguins, seals), and Alpine regions (Snow leopards and coniferous trees). 
• Positive Impacts (Short-Term):  
  • New Energy Sources: More geothermal energy sources may be uncovered in regions with volcanic activity e.g., Kamchatka peninsula. 
  • Shorter Shipping Routes: Melting ice has opened up passages like the Northern Sea Route that can significantly shorten the journey between Europe and Asia. 
  • New Water and Land Resources: New water sources may become accessible in areas that previously had limited freshwater supply.  
    • Previously snow-covered areas like Siberia may open up for cultivation. 
  • Potential for Biodiversity: Glacier retreat could create new habitats for pioneering species, leading to more diverse ecosystems over time. 

What are the Proposed Key Activities for Glaciers' Preservation?  

• Global Outreach: A media campaign to educate the public and stakeholders on glaciers' importance and the impact of their loss. 
  • Work with global figures, including youth ambassadors, to enhance outreach efforts. 
  • Coordinate with other global bodies for GHGs reduction, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O), which trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading melting of glaciers. 
• International Conferences: International conference convened by Tajikistan in 2025 and International Water Conference (IWC11) 2025 by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) will focus on innovative approaches for preservation of glaciers. 
• Capacity Building: Provide targeted capacity-building programs for local communities, policymakers, and scientists to improve their understanding of glacier dynamics and best practices for preservation. 
• Research and Monitoring: Address the cross-border impacts of glacier retreat, develop and enhance global cryosphere data systems and incorporate Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) to improve monitoring and decision-making. 
• Policy Integration: Advocate for the inclusion of glacier preservation into national and regional climate strategies, water management policies, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) frameworks. 
• Funding Initiatives: Secure funding from governments, international organizations, private sectors, and philanthropic foundations to support glacier monitoring, research, and preservation projects. 

Related Terminologies 

• Ice Sheet: An ice sheet is a mass of glacial ice that sits on land and extends more than 50,000 square kilometers.  
  • Now, Earth has just two ice sheets, one covers most of Greenland, the largest island in the world, and the other spans across the Antarctic continent. 
• Ice Caps: An ice cap is a dome-shaped glacier with an area less than 50,000 square kilometers that flows in all directions. 
  • Ice caps form in high-latitude polar and subpolar mountain regions. 
• Icefield: An icefield is a mass of glacier ice, somewhat similar to an ice cap, but usually smaller and lacking a dome-like shape.  
• Icebergs: Icebergs are large floating chunks of ice, detached from a glacier, and carried out to a lake or the ocean.  
  • Smaller icebergs are known as bergy, bits, and growlers. 

Conclusion 

The preservation of glaciers is crucial for maintaining global water resources, regulating climate, and supporting biodiversity. Their rapid melt due to climate change poses significant risks to sea levels, ecosystems, and human populations, urging international efforts for conservation and sustainable management. 

Drishti Mains Question: 

How do glaciers impact global water supply and climate regulation, and what are the effects of retreating of glaciers?

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of organisms? (2014)

1. Continental drift 
2. Glacial cycles 

Select the correct answer using the code given below: 

(a) 1 only 

(b)2 only  

(c) Both 1 and 2  

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 

Ans: (c)

Q.When you travel in Himalayas, you will see the following: (2012) 

1. Deep gorges
2. U-turn river courses
3. Parallel mountain ranges
4. Steep gradients causing landsliding

Which of the above can be said to be the evidence for Himalayas being young fold mountains? 

(a) 1 and 2 only  

(b) 1, 2 and 4 only 

(c) 3 and 4 only  

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 

Ans: (d)

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Mains 

Q.1 Briefly mention the alignment of major mountain ranges of the world and explain their impact on local weather conditions, with examples. (2021) 

Q.2 How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India? (2020)