2025 Declared International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation

In response to the alarming rate of glacier retreat due to climate change, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP), the UN website reported. This initiative, co-facilitated by UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), aims to protect glaciers, which provide freshwater to over 2 billion people globally.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that melting glaciers threaten long-term water security for millions. Recent data revealed that 2023 marked the greatest water loss from glaciers in over 50 years, with Switzerland losing 10% of its glacier mass between 2022 and 2023.

Key initiatives for 2025 include raising awareness of glaciers’ critical role in climate regulation, enhancing scientific understanding through the Global Cryosphere Watch, and integrating glacier preservation into global climate strategies. The first World Glacier Day will be celebrated on March 21, 2025, coinciding with World Water Day, and an International Glacier Preservation Conference will be held in Tajikistan in May.