Human Wrongs Watch
By the United Nations*
Some 600 glaciers have already disappeared and many more will vanish if temperatures continue to rise.
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Glaciers, an essential source of life around our mountains
Glaciers, vast reserves of ice and snow found across the planet, are far more than frozen landscapes – they are lifelines for ecosystems and communities, holding around 70 percent of the world’s freshwater.
Their accelerated melting represents not only an environmental crisis but also a humanitarian one, threatening agriculture, clean energy, water security and billions of peoples’ lives.
Their retreat, driven by rising global temperatures, is a stark indicator of the climate crisis.
Melting glaciers and thawing permafrost increase risks such as floods, glacier lake outburst floods, landslides or enhanced erosion and sediment, endangering downstream populations and critical infrastructure.
This International Mountain Day [11 December], with the theme “Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond”, highlights the critical role mountain regions play as a key source of global freshwater and calls for immediate measures to avoid the glaciers’ disappearance.
Help us spread the message!
FAO leads the efforts for the International Mountain Day. Discover all the materials they have prepared and use them freely to help amplify the message about the need to care for our mountains and their glaciers.
Did you know?
- Nearly 2 billion people—including many Indigenous Peoples—depend on water from mountains for their essential daily needs, livelihoods and cultural practices.
- Five of the past six years have seen the most rapid glacier retreat on record. Some 600 glaciers have already disappeared and many more will vanish if temperatures continue to rise.
- Today over 15 million people globally are highly vulnerable to flooding from glacier lakes.
Join the FAO’s event online, with live translation available in your language. The organization will share the stage with distinguished speakers and leading mountain advocates.
Glacier: Witness to Change in Central Asia
High in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan, the Fedchenko (Vanch-Yakh) Glacier stretches nearly 77 kilometers—making it the longest glacier outside the polar regions.
It lies at the heart of Tajik National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its outstanding ecological and scientific value. More than just ice, this remote natural wonder is a living record of our planet’s climate history and a vital source of water for millions.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to go very equipped or spend money. Let’s go on a multimedia journey to the Carpathian Mountains, the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region, the Tian Shan Mountains, and the Virunga Mountains. You will be amazed by everything you will learn!
*SOURCE: The United Nations. Go to ORIGINAL: https://www.un.org/en/observances/mountain-day
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Baher Kamal
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 
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