Race Against Time: Preserving the Last of Earth's Glaciers

The Hindu Kush Himalaya, where glaciers sustain rivers vital for two billion people, faces a dire future. A recent study warns that if global temperatures climb by 2°C, up to 75% of this ice could vanish by century's end. Still, if warming remains at 1.5°C, 40-45% of glacier ice might be saved.

Globally, glaciers are at risk. With current climate policies, only a quarter of global glacier ice may persist if warming reaches 2.7°C. Regions like the European Alps and the Rockies could lose nearly all their ice, with scenarios showing only 10-15% of glacier ice remaining in these areas.

Experts gathered in Dushanbe for the first UN conference on glaciers, co-chaired by Asian Development Bank Vice-President Yingming Yang, emphasize that the shift to clean energy and climate adaptation financing is crucial to tackling glacial melt's impacts on billions, particularly in Asia and the Pacific. The study, led by a global team of scientists, underscores that every fraction of a degree counts in the preservation efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)