UNESCO warns in a report: "Glacier melting will exacerbate global crises."

There is an urgent need for international cooperation, strategies, and adaptation to address the crisis spreading across our mountains and glaciers.

Mountains are the “water towers” of the world, an essential source of fresh water.

On the occasion of the first World Glacier Day, UNESCO, on behalf of UN-Water, has released a global report on water resources development. It reveals the extent to which climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable activities are transforming mountain environments at an unprecedented pace.

Urgent need for action

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, warns: "Regardless of where we live, we all depend in some way on mountains and glaciers. But these essential natural reservoirs of water face imminent danger. This report demonstrates the urgent need for action and that the most effective solutions require a multilateral approach."

"Water flows downhill, but food insecurity increases. The world's mountains provide 60% of our freshwater , but the communities that protect these vital resources are among the most food insecure. We must invest in their resilience to protect glaciers, rivers, and a shared future for all," said Álvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Chair of UN-Water.

Why is this a critical situation?

According to the report, more than 1 billion people live in mountainous regions, and more than 2 billion depend directly on mountain water for their drinking, sanitation, and livelihoods.

Data highlighted by UNESCO in its report.

Mountain regions are vital for sectors such as pastoralism, forestry, tourism, and energy production . Mountains also provide high-value water-dependent products.

The current situation is critical, as up to half of the inhabitants of rural mountain areas in developing countries suffer from food insecurity, with women and children most at risk.

The Report indicates that glaciers around the world are melting at an unprecedented rate , with mountain waters being the first to be exposed and the most vulnerable. It reveals that glacier retreat and declining mountain snowfall will affect two-thirds of all irrigated agriculture worldwide and will have far-reaching consequences for the vast majority of the population.

Glacier retreat is only part of the threat

Due to climate change, rapid changes in the amount, frequency, and regularity of snowfall are severely disrupting water supplies , creating unstable environments for biodiversity and unpredictable conditions for human survival.


These changes in precipitation also increase the risk of natural disasters such as droughts and glacial lake outburst floods . The situation could be exacerbated by rising temperatures, which cause more precipitation to fall as rain, which runs off more quickly than mountain snow.

Climate change is also being felt strongly in mountainous regions where glaciers and melting ice have not been recorded, where water flows originate from rainfall. In tropical regions, such as Madagascar, changes in mountain waters are affecting irrigation for cocoa, rice, and fruit production .

Multilateral impact solutions

The report highlights that mountainous regions have been largely absent from global agendas. National policies on water, agriculture, industry, and energy tend to favor the most populated river basins.

The celebration of the first World Glacier Day highlights the need for immediate and coordinated international efforts, in line with World Water Day on March 22.

UNESCO co-leads this day with WMO, as well as the International Year for Glacier Preservation 2025, a global initiative to mobilize resources and commitments for glacier conservation . It also co-leads the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Science (2025–2034) to promote scientific understanding and policy solutions.

These important developments should boost international cooperation for the protection of glaciers and mountain waters. Many mountain ranges are transboundary, and treaties or agreements can enhance cooperation through the exchange of data and information, help address gaps, and promote and foster dialogue and diplomacy.

Some projects in progress

In Central Asia, UNESCO recently mobilized US$12 million to reduce disaster risk, including a new regional glacier monitoring system deployed this year in the region's transboundary massifs.

It is also establishing a Flood Early Warning System in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, which will help protect more than 100,000 people at risk of flooding from glacial lake outbursts.

There is an urgent need to adapt to this new reality and strengthen water security worldwide through scientific research, policy coordination and concrete action on the ground.

In Africa, it is leading the "Unlocking the Kilimanjaro Water Tower" project, which will benefit more than 2 million people in Tanzania and Kenya who directly depend on its water. It will also improve groundwater storage and supply during the dry season . This initiative will also restore 400 km² of degraded cloud forests and strengthen the management of more than 17,000 km² of protected areas.