"Glaciers are melting faster than ever" - Massive ice loss threatens the lives of millions of people
Glaciers around the globe are melting faster than ever, with the last three-year period seeing the greatest loss of glacial mass ever recorded, according to a UNESCO report.
The dramatic loss of ice, amounting to 9,000 gigatons since 1975, is expected to continue to accelerate and could lead to a “flood” of economic, environmental and social problems as sea levels rise and key water sources dwindle.
"The ice we have lost since 1975 would be the size of Germany and 25 meters thick," said Michael Zemp, director of the global glacier monitoring service.
"At the current rate of melting, glaciers could disappear within this century," Zemp said, adding that five of the last six years recorded the largest losses, with 450 gigatons of mass lost in 2024 alone.
Accelerated melting has made mountain glaciers the biggest contributors to sea level rise, putting millions of people at risk of devastating floods and damaging watercourses on which billions depend for hydroelectric power and agriculture.
Stefan Uhlenbrook, director of water and cryosphere at the World Meteorological Organization, said about 275,000 glaciers remain globally, which, together with the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, account for about 70% of the world's freshwater.
"We need to advance our scientific knowledge, we need to advance through better observation systems, better forecasts and better early warning systems for the planet and people," Uhlenbrook said. "Preserving glaciers is not just an environmental obligation, but actually a survival strategy."
Mountain glaciers have led to a sea level rise of about 25 mm, with 1 mm expected to be added each year. Every millimeter could mean 300,000 more people at risk from flooding, Zemp said.
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