The Guardian - Retreating glaciers threaten the food and water supply of 2 billion people around the world, the UN has warned, as current “unprecedented” rates of melting will have unpredictable consequences.Two-thirds of all irrigated agriculture in the world is likely to be affected in some way by receding glaciers and dwindling snowfall in mountain regions, driven by the climate crisis, according to a Unesco report.
More than 1 billion people live in mountainous regions and, of those in developing countries, up to half are already experiencing food insecurity. That is likely to worsen, as food production in such regions is dependent on mountain waters, melting snow and glaciers, according to the World Water Development Report 2025.
Today
marks the first-ever World Day for Glaciers, bringing together global
leaders, cryosphere scientists, and policymakers to address the urgent
need for glacier preservation and water security in the face of climate
change. A high-level event will be held at UN Headquarters in New York
from 10am-1pm ET today, alongside ongoing events and sessions in Paris.
World Day for Glaciers is a cornerstone of the International Year of
Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP) 2025. This
event in New York will serve as a platform for dialogue and action
regarding the state of the world's glaciers and the impacts of the
melting cryosphere on global water availability, food, and energy
security. It will
underscore the impacts of glacier changes on people living in
mountainous regions and downstream communities and ecosystems, and outline strategies for mitigating and adapting to their accelerated melting.
Livestream (10am-1pm ET)
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