World Water Day

World Water Day is observed annually on March 22 to highlight the importance of freshwater and advocate for sustainable management of water resources. In 2025, the theme is “Glacier Preservation,” focusing on the critical role glaciers play in sustaining life and maintaining the water cycle.

Glaciers are essential, providing meltwater crucial for drinking, agriculture, industry, clean energy, and healthy ecosystems. However, they are melting faster than ever due to climate change, leading to unpredictable water flows and significant impacts on both people and the planet.

To address this pressing issue, global efforts must focus on reducing carbon emissions and developing local strategies to adapt to shrinking glaciers. World Water Day 2025 aims to place glacier preservation at the forefront of climate change mitigation and global water crisis solutions.

Why Glaciers Matter

Glaciers are natural reservoirs of freshwater, holding about 69% of the world’s freshwater supply. They act as slow-release water towers, providing steady flows of meltwater to rivers and lakes, which supply drinking water, support agriculture, and generate hydroelectric power. Over 1.9 billion people worldwide depend on glaciers for their water supply.

In addition to their role in water availability, glaciers also help regulate the Earth’s climate. Their bright, reflective surfaces prevent excessive heat absorption, keeping global temperatures in check. However, as they shrink, less sunlight is reflected, accelerating global warming.

Due to rising global temperatures, glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates. According to UN-Water, some of the most vulnerable glaciers—including those in the Himalayas, the Alps, the Andes—are disappearing faster than predicted.

Himalayan Glaciers: Research indicates that glacier loss in the Himalayas was up to 65% faster in the 2010s compared to the 2000s. Projections suggest that, under current warming trends, these glaciers could lose between 30% to 50% of their ice by 2100, even with a temperature rise limited to 1.5°C.

The glaciers of the Alps, some of Europe’s most iconic natural landmarks, are disappearing at an alarming rate due to the rapidly intensifying impacts of climate change. Recent reports highlight a devastating loss of ice in Switzerland, where the country’s glaciers have lost 10% of their total volume in just two years.

The Andean glaciers in South America have shrunk by over 50% in the past 50 years. Using satellite data, scientists are documenting the inexorable melting of South America’s glaciers and ice fields, with Andean glaciers thinning by nearly three feet a year since 2000. The loss of ice poses a threat to water supplies and agriculture from Bolivia to Chile.

The Greenland Ice Sheet is rapidly melting, having lost 3.8 trillion tons of ice between 1992 and 2018, a new study from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) finds. The findings, which forecast an approximate 70 to 130 millimeters of global sea level rise by 2100, are in alignment with previous worst-case projections if the average rate of Greenland’s ice loss continues.

The Global Impact of Glacier Loss  

The loss of glaciers does not just affect mountainous regions—it has a ripple effect worldwide:  

Water Scarcity – Communities that rely on glacier-fed rivers face severe water shortages, affecting agriculture, drinking water supplies, and hydropower production. 

Extreme Weather Events – As glaciers melt, they contribute to rising sea levels, leading to more frequent and intense storms, floods, and hurricanes.  

Loss of Biodiversity – Melting glaciers disrupt freshwater ecosystems, threatening fish species and wildlife that depend on stable water flows. 

Food Insecurity – Reduced water availability affects crop irrigation, leading to lower food production and higher food prices. 

Economic Consequences – Sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and hydropower face significant disruptions, impacting livelihoods and economies worldwide.

Glacier melting and wetlands

The melting of glaciers can have significant impacts on wetlands. These impacts are primarily due to the changes in water flow, flooding, temperature, and ecosystem stability. Here’s how:

Water Availability and Flow Disruption

Glaciers provide a steady source of water to many rivers, lakes, and wetlands, especially during dry periods. As glaciers melt, the volume and timing of meltwater that feeds into wetlands can change, leading to unstable water availability.

In some areas, the rapid melting of glaciers leads to an initial surge of water, which can overwhelm wetlands, causing flooding and disrupting the delicate balance of these ecosystems.

However, over time, as glaciers continue to shrink, water availability for wetlands can decrease, potentially drying them up or reducing the size of the wetland. This can have devastating effects on the species that depend on these ecosystems.

Increased Salinity in Coastal Wetlands

For coastal wetlands that rely on freshwater inputs, melting glaciers can influence sea levels and the mixing of freshwater and saltwater. Rising sea levels, driven by glacier and ice sheet melt, can lead to saltwater intrusioninto coastal wetlands, changing the salinity and affecting species that rely on freshwater environments.

Changes in Ecosystem Services

Wetlands provide essential services, including water purification, flood control, and carbon storage. Disruption of wetland systems due to melting glaciers can reduce these ecosystem services, impacting local communities that rely on wetlands for clean water, food, and livelihoods.

Climate change impacts both glaciers and wetlands. Melting glaciers disrupt water flow to wetlands, while drying wetlands contribute to climate change by releasing stored carbon. Protecting and restoring wetlands is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change and reduce global warming.

As part of the ALFAwetlands project, the European Wilderness Society leads communication abouth the importnce of conservation and restoration of wetlands across Europe, ensuring their role in climate regulation, biodiversity, and water management.

Conclusion

World Water Day serves as a powerful reminder of the vital role water plays in our lives and the urgent need to protect this precious resource. In 2025, the focus is on glaciers and their connection to global water security. As glaciers melt at an alarming rate due to climate change, the impact on freshwater availability, sea levels, and ecosystems—including wetlands—becomes more severe.

Protecting water sources, promoting sustainable water management, and restoring critical ecosystems like wetlands are key steps toward a resilient and water-secure future.