Glacier melt threatens global water security

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 22: The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025, published by UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water, has revealed the extent to which climate disruption, biodiversity loss and unsustainable activities are transforming mountain environments at an unprecedented rate and threatening water resources. 

The report has claimed that mountains provide up to 60 per cent of the world's annual freshwater flows. More than one billion people live in mountainous regions, and over two billion directly rely on water originating from mountains for drinking water, sanitation and livelihoods.

The report focused on, ‘Mountains and glaciers: Water towers’, read that the water resources we receive from mountains are melting away before our eyes and confirms that the Third Pole, among Earth’s highest and most extensive glacier systems, are also among the most vulnerable to ongoing changes and are disappearing at an alarming rate, according to a press statement issued by ICIMOD on Friday. 

While short-term impacts include floods, glacial lake outbursts, and other hazards, in the long term, the reduced water flows and increased droughts are expected to jeopardise food, water, energy, and livelihood security in the HKH region as well as disrupt ecosystems and escalate risks of conflict and migration.

The Nepali translation of the report was released on Friday amid a programme on the ‘National Symposium on Cryosphere’ as a part of Nepal National Glaciers Water and Weather Week (NNGWWW). 

According to the report, mountain regions are vital to sectors such as pastoralism, forestry, tourism and energy production. Mountains also provide high-value products such as medicinal plants, timber and other forest products, unique mountain livestock and specialty agriculture products - all of which are water-dependent.

Speaking at the programme Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi said, “Nepal, home to over 3,000 glaciers, is experiencing the severe impacts of climate change. These glaciers are not just masses of snow and ice, they are the primary sources of our river systems, playing a crucial role in drinking water supply, agriculture, hydropower generation, biodiversity and ecological systems. Due to rising temperatures, glaciers are melting rapidly, increasing the risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), landslides and floods.”

The United Nations has declared 2025 as the "International Year of Glacier Preservation," stressing the urgent need to protect glaciers that are rapidly shrinking worldwide due to 

climate change.

Also, the decade from 2025 to 2034 has been designated as the “Decade of Glacier Preservation,” during which special programmes will be conducted globally for glacier management, conservation, and climate adaptation, Minister Thakuri said.

“For a glacier-rich country like ours, this is a significant opportunity. Accordingly, we must enhance the effectiveness of glacier studies, monitoring and conservation initiatives while accelerating scientific research, policy development and resource mobilisation at both national and international levels,” he said. 

Minister Shahi further said that the ministry has been carrying out various activities ranging from policy formulation to scientific studies for glacier management and climate adaptation. 

“To institutionalise climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, the government has formulated and implemented several policies and strategies, including the National Climate Policy, National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Net Zero Emission Strategy and various phases of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 

The country has also been actively advocating for glacier conservation, climate justice, and financial resource mobilisation at COP and other international forums. He also said that progress in glacier and glacial lake monitoring, risk reduction and research has remained insufficient, 

he added.

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, said that the HKH region is home to over 54,000 glaciers, accounting for 9 per cent of the world’s total glaciers. These glaciers are a critical source of water for nearly two billion people, sustaining agriculture, drinking water, and hydropower. However, recent studies show a 65 per cent increase in glacier mass loss from 2010–2019, as compared to the previous decade. 

Gyamtsho said, “Despite the scale of this crisis, our understanding of glacier dynamics remains incomplete. Only 38 glaciers in the HKH are monitored in situ, leaving us with limited ability to predict changes and prepare adaptation strategies. This is unacceptable. We must expand glacier monitoring, enhance data-sharing efforts, and improve access to high-resolution satellite imagery to refine our climate policies and responses.”

Talking about the report, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, said “Regardless of where we live, we all depend in some way on mountains and glaciers. But these essential natural water towers are facing imminent peril. This report demonstrates the urgent need for action and that the most effective solutions require a multilateral approach.”

“Water flows downhill, but food insecurity rises uphill. The earth's mountains provide 60 per cent of our freshwater, but the communities that safeguard these vital resources are among the most food insecure. We must invest in their resilience to protect glaciers, rivers and a shared future for all of us,” said Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Chair of UN-Water.