Kathmandu - Glaciers, often described as the world’s “hidden water banks,” are rapidly shrinking, placing the water, food and livelihood security of billions of people at serious risk, according to the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu.
Glaciers and seasonal snowmelt from mountain ranges feed some of the world’s most critical river systems, including the Indus, Ganges, Nile and Colorado. These rivers provide drinking water to nearly two billion people, irrigate vast agricultural lands and support hydropower generation across continents. However, accelerating glacier retreat driven by climate change is disrupting these life-supporting systems.
In the short term, faster melting is increasing the risk of disasters such as flash floods, glacial lake outburst floods, landslides and avalanches. In the long run, the disappearance of glaciers will permanently reduce water availability, undermining agriculture in both mountain communities and downstream lowland regions that serve as global food baskets.
Mountains cover more than one-quarter of the Earth’s land surface and are home to around 1.2 billion people. Scientific evidence shows that mountain regions are warming faster than the global average, making them especially vulnerable to climate variability and declining seasonal water supplies. With limited alternative water sources, many mountain communities face declining agricultural production, rising poverty and the growing risk of climate-induced displacement.
Recent data show that five of the last six years have recorded the fastest glacier retreat on record. The impacts are already visible from the Andes to the Himalayas. In Peru, shrinking glaciers have reduced crop yields, while in Pakistan, declining snowmelt threatens traditional planting cycles. Experts warn that many glacier systems are approaching or have already passed “peak water” - the point at which meltwater flow reaches its maximum before beginning an irreversible decline over the coming decades.
Beyond physical impacts, glacier loss is also eroding cultural and spiritual heritage. For Indigenous Peoples and mountain communities across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific, glaciers hold deep cultural and religious significance. Their disappearance threatens traditions, identities and centuries-old relationships with mountain landscapes.
Recognizing the urgency of the crisis, the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, with FAO, UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization playing leading roles. The initiative aims to draw global attention to the need for coordinated action to protect glacier-fed water systems.
FAO has emphasized that addressing glacier loss requires a bold shift in policy, investment and governance. Key priorities include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving water management, strengthening early-warning systems and promoting climate-resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. Agriculture, as one of the largest water users, is also seen as a major part of the solution when managed sustainably.
Traditional practices such as terrace farming, agroecology, agroforestry and crop diversification - long used by mountain communities - are being highlighted as effective adaptation strategies. FAO stresses that adaptation efforts must be inclusive, integrating Indigenous knowledge and addressing root challenges such as poverty and gender inequality.
Innovative solutions are already emerging. In Kyrgyzstan, FAO-supported projects have helped construct artificial glaciers, storing more than 1.5 million cubic meters of ice to irrigate farmland. In Ladakh, India, automated ice reservoirs are capturing unused winter water for spring agriculture. In the Peruvian Andes, communities are restoring water quality affected by glacier retreat through natural filtration systems using native plants.
Despite these promising examples, FAO warns that current global responses remain fragmented and insufficient. Greater investment in water and agricultural infrastructure, stronger cross-border cooperation on glacier-fed river basins, improved glacier monitoring and better alignment of national climate policies are urgently needed.
“Glaciers matter because water matters,” FAO Director-General QU Dongyu has stressed. Ignoring their rapid retreat, he warned, is a direct gamble with global food security, water availability and long-term stability.
