UN World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and Glaciers

Syllabus: GS 3/Environment, Conservation

In News

• The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 – Mountains and Glaciers: Water Towers was released by UNESCO.

Key points of the report

• Glaciers are melting faster than ever, with a significant loss of mass in the last few years.
  • Since 1975, glaciers have lost over 9,000 billion tonnes of mass, equivalent to an ice block the size of Germany.
  • Impurities such as black carbon from wildfires and dust storms are accelerating the melting by increasing the absorption of solar radiation.
• Permafrost Thawing: Rising temperatures are causing permafrost to melt, releasing organic carbon into the atmosphere and exacerbating climate change.
  • The thaw also destabilizes slopes, increasing the risk of landslides and other hazards.
• Decline in Snow Cover: Snow cover has decreased in mountain regions, especially in spring and summer, with further declines expected.
  • A global mean decline of 7.79% in snow cover between 1979 and 2022.

Impacts and Concerns

• The impacts of glacier melting and permafrost thaw include erratic water flow, increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and rising sea levels.
  • GLOFs have caused over 12,000 deaths in the past 200 years. 
  • The melting of glaciers contributes to 25-30% of global sea level rise, posing risks to millions of people. 

Suggestions and Way Forward 

• Mountains cover 33 million sq km and are vital for sustaining life, with around 2 billion people relying on mountain glaciers for freshwater.
• Therefore awareness and policy changes are needed to address the impact of rising temperatures on mountain ecosystems and downstream communities.
• Mobilization of resources and creation of effective policy frameworks are critical for mitigating these environmental impacts.

Source :TH