Bapon (SHM) Fakhruddin, PhD

The latest State of the Cryosphere Report presents deeply concerning evidence of accelerating ice loss and its cascading impacts on global water resources and climate systems. Let me highlight several critical findings:

We are witnessing unprecedented rates of cryosphere decline. Mountain glaciers globally set record losses in 2023-2024, with some regions like Sweden showing the highest melt in 80 years of observations. The Arctic is warming 3-4 times faster than the global average, while Antarctic sea ice reached historic lows for three consecutive years.

These losses have severe implications for water security. Over 2 billion people depend on glacier-fed rivers for water, agriculture and hydropower. Many glacier-dependent regions have already passed “peak water” – the point where meltwater supply begins declining. The Hindu Kush Himalaya region saw record low snowfall this winter, threatening water supplies across South Asia.

The global impacts extend far beyond mountain and polar regions. Sea level rise has doubled in the last 30 years. If current emissions continue, we risk triggering irreversible melt of parts of Antarctica and Greenland that could raise seas by multiple meters over centuries. Ocean circulation patterns are showing concerning changes, with potential disruption of critical systems like the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

That means every fraction of a degree matters!! At 1.5°C warming, we can still preserve significant mountain glacier ice and limit sea level rise to more manageable levels. But current policies put us on track for over 2°C warming, which would lead to catastrophic and irreversible ice loss.

We face a critical choice. Strong emissions reductions this decade could still prevent extreme loss and damage. But the window for action is closing rapidly. We must strengthen climate commitments in 2025 NDCs to credibly limit warming to 1.5°C through:

– At least 40% emissions cuts by 2030
– Net zero emissions by 2050
– Increased support for adaptation in vulnerable regions

The cryosphere cannot wait. We cannot negotiate with the melting point of ice. The decisions we make this decade will determine the future of Earth’s ice and snow – and the billions who depend on them.

Green Climate Fund, Asian Development Bank (ADB), #ClimateAction
#ClimateEmergency,#GlobalWarming, #NetZero2050, #GlacierMelt
#SeaLevelRise, #WaterSecurity, #PolarIce #ArcticAmplification