Glacier crisis: Global implications as water towers melt

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, a glacier slide in Switzerland alarmed the residents of Blatten, a small village buried under debris comprising massive ice and gravel deposits and giant dust clouds. This unprecedented natural disaster is also a subject of discussion at the international conference on glaciers in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, from May 29 to June 1. High-ranking officials, government delegations, scientists, UN representatives, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are participating in the event.

Decisive action is required. The glacier slide in Switzerland highlights the dangers of accelerated glacier melting, driven by climate change. According to scientists, Swiss glaciers melted at a rate equivalent to the total melting experienced from 1960 to 1990 between 2022 and 2023 due to climate warming. Globally, glaciers, often referred to as the "water towers of the world," are melting today at twice the rate they were two decades ago. Between 2000 and 2023, they lost ice mass comparable to the volume of approximately 46,000 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Glaciers and ice sheets store about 70 percent of the world's freshwater supplies. Scientists estimate that two billion people worldwide rely on glacier melting to meet their daily water needs. However, as the global climate continues to warm, the ice remains in a state of constant melt.

This has significant consequences. Some regions face water scarcity, while others deal with the challenges of excess water. For example, residents of the small town of Huaraz in western Peru meet nearly 20 percent of their annual water needs through the melting of ice. However, glaciers in the Andes are melting even faster than elsewhere, posing a risk of flooding.

A resident of Huaraz filed a lawsuit against the German energy company RWE. His home is threatened by a rapidly filling mountain lake caused by melting ice. However, on May 28, the Higher Regional Court in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia, dismissed the Peruvian farmer's climate lawsuit.

It's not only in Peru that huge lakes are forming as glaciers melt. When these lakes become too full, deadly floods can wash away buildings, bridges, and destroy fertile land, as seen in Pakistan. In neighbouring India, a lake formed from melted ice overflowed, resulting in the deaths of 179 people.

Scientists estimate that at least 15 million people worldwide are at risk of sudden floods caused by melting ice, with the majority residing in India and Pakistan.

In the Swiss Alps, the residents of the village of Blatten were evacuated in time before the slide of the melting Birch glacier.

As glaciers shrink, they eventually reach a threshold called "peak water," where water runoff decreases. Consequently, less water from their melting flows downriver, which can have far-reaching impacts.

Reduced water resources in the Andes have compelled local farmers, who traditionally cultivated corn and wheat, to adapt their crops and water management strategies. Some municipalities have transitioned to cultivating a drought-resistant variety of potatoes.

An unstable water supply also hampers electricity production. In Chile, 27 percent of electricity comes from hydropower plants that are heavily reliant on water from melting ice. In 2021, the Alto Maipo power station was shut down due to a decline in water flow.

It's not only high mountain glaciers that are melting; sea glaciers, such as the Thwaites Glacier in western Antarctica, are also in jeopardy. This massive ice structure, comparable in size to the state of Florida, is described as "very unstable." Scientists indicate that it is melting from multiple sides.

The melting of sea ice significantly contributes to the rise in sea levels. Over the past 25 years, the melting of glaciers has led to a nearly 2.5-centimetre increase in global sea levels.

This may seem minimal, but low-lying Pacific islands, such as Fiji and Vanuatu, are at risk of being submerged. Moreover, over a billion people reside in major cities like Jakarta, Mumbai, Lagos, and Manila, which are located near the coast. Although protective barriers offer temporary respite, sea levels continue to rise.

Glaciers also hold spiritual and cultural significance for many people. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims gather at one of Peru's most sacred glaciers, Colquepuna, to participate in a religious festival. In the past, blocks of ice were harvested from the glacier and delivered to local communities, where they were believed to have healing properties. However, with the glacier's disappearance, this ancient tradition is at risk.

The Presena Glacier in Italy, a popular skiing destination, has lost one-third of its volume since 1990. It is projected that by the end of the century, natural snow in the European Alps will decrease by 42 percent. Scientists anticipate that many ski resorts worldwide will eventually become unviable.

Local communities can, however, take measures to prepare for some of these threats. In the Pakistani village of Hassanabad, an early warning system has been installed to monitor the activity of the nearby Shisper glacier. If necessary, a warning can be broadcast through loudspeakers installed in the village.

In the nearby region of Ladakh, scientists are experimenting with the creation of artificial glaciers to alleviate water shortages during the summer. However, these strategies only provide partial solutions. Experts assert that the most effective way to curb glacier melting is to mitigate the rise in Earth's temperatures.