The United Nations said that all 19 glacier regions of the world have experienced a net loss of mass in 2024 for the third consecutive year as they are melting faster than ever. The world body has issued a warning that saving the planet's glaciers is now a matter of "survival". 

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The glaciers have suffered a dramatic ice loss, totalling around 9,000 gigatonnes since 1975. They are expected to continue accelerating and could lead to a flood of economic, environmental and social problems with an unprecedented rise in sea levels. 

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This year's March 21 is the first ever World Day For Glaciers, which is observed to raise awareness on the role of glaciers in our ecosystem and also to analyse various risks and the loss of freshwater supplies. 

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"Preservation of glaciers is a not just an environmental, economic and societal necessity: it's a matter of survival," said Celeste Saulo, head of the UN's World Meteorological Organization climate agency, on the inaugural World Day for Glaciers. 

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Lives of over 2 billion people at risk 

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A Unesco report released on Friday (Mar 21) noted that climate change and some human activities are causing "unprecedented changes" to mountains and glaciers, threatening access to fresh water and food supplies for more than two billion people. 

World Water Development Report 2025 report revealed that more than 1 billion people live in mountainous regions and their food production is dependent on mountain waters, melting snow and glaciers. The glacier melt, decreased snow cover and increased permafrost thaw would lead to erratic water flow, hence disrupting the agriculture practices. 

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Audrey Azoulay, the director general of Unesco, said: "Regardless of where we live, we all depend in some way on mountains and glaciers. But these natural water towers are facing imminent peril. This report demonstrates the urgent need for action." 

Major concerns for South Asia

Another Unicef report noted that in the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain ranges of South Asia, the pace is even faster than the global average. 

"Experts estimate that 80 per cent of the region's glaciers will disappear by the start of the next century. That loss would mean a dramatic reduction in the amount of water available for drinking, growing food and combatting disease," the report said. 

"It would be absolutely catastrophic for children and their families," Francis Odhiambo, the South Asia Regional Advisor for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, said as quoted. 

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(With inputs from agencies)