El Nino may melt Indonesia's 12,000-year-old 'Eternity Glaciers' by 2026

Two of the world's very few tropical glaciers in Indonesia are melting and it is feared that the ice would melt by 2026 or sooner just as El Nino weather pattern prolongs the dry season in the country, Indonesia's geophysics agency has said.

A third of world's rainforests are found in Indonesia. The country is expecting that dry season may last until October. El Nino has increased the risk of forest fires and has even threatened supply of clean water.

The agency has said that the Pacific weather phenomenon may make this year's dry season most severe since 2019. Reuters reported that a climate researcher from the agency has said that the dry season also poses threat to Indonesia's tropical glaciers. The glaciers are 12,000-year-old.

"The glaciers might vanish before 2026, or even faster, and El Nino could accelerate the melting process," said Donaldi Permana, referring to the so-called 'Eternity Glaciers'. Permana was quoted by Reuters.

The glaciers, which he said were among the few left in the tropics, are the 4,884-m (16,000-ft) -high Carstensz Pyramid and the East Northwall Firn, which is 4,700 m (15,420 ft) high, in the Jayawijaya mountains in the easternmost region of Papua.

Permana said that the glaciers have thinned significantly in past few years. They have shrunk to 8 metres in 2021 from 32 metres in 2010. The total area fell to 0.23 square kilometres by 2022. It was 2.4 square kilometres in the year 2000.

But little can be done to prevent the shrinking, he said, adding that the event could disrupt the regional ecosystem and trigger a rise in the global sea level within a decade.

"We are now in a position to document the glaciers' extinction," added Donaldi, a coordinator of the climate research division of the agency, known as BMKG. "At least we can tell future generations that we used to have glaciers."

Other than in Papua, tropical glaciers may be found in the Andes of South America and Kilimanjaro mountains and as well as in Mount Kenya and Rwenzory in Africa.

Indonesia is the world's top exporter of coal, and aims to reach net zero emissions by 2060. Coal-fired power makes up more than half its energy supply.

Last year it set an ambitious deadline of 2030 to cut emissions by 31.89 per cent on its own, or by 43.2 per cent with international support.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE