Qu Dongyu, the Director-General of FAO, warned of a serious threat posed by the rapid melting of glaciers worldwide. He noted that this phenomenon could disrupt established agricultural cycles and deprive people of access to clean water. In various regions, from the Andes to the Himalayas, there is a reduction in the snow season and worsening water supply. In Peru, this has already led to a significant decrease in crop yields, while in Pakistan it has complicated adherence to traditional planting dates.
Glaciers play a key role, providing drinking water for about two billion people and feeding major rivers such as the Indus, Nile, Ganges, and Colorado. However, the last six years have set records for the speed of ice retreat. Qu Dongyu emphasized that in the coming decades, many glaciers will reach the limit of their runoff, leading to prolonged water supply issues exacerbated by population growth. The loss of ice masses also carries cultural and economic consequences, destroying sacred sites and centuries-old traditions of indigenous peoples.
The situation can still be corrected, but this requires radical changes in global policy and investment. In 2025, the UN plans to declare an International Year for Glacier Conservation to draw attention to the importance of protecting these ecosystems. FAO calls for the implementation of adaptive agricultural methods, including terraced farming, agroforestry, and crop diversity. A key step will be the development of water infrastructure and strengthening transboundary cooperation, as rivers fed by glaciers often flow through several countries.
There are already examples of successful adaptation. For instance, in Kyrgyzstan, FAO supports the creation of artificial glaciers formed by spraying water from mountain rivers. In the Batken region, this initiative has preserved over 1.5 million cubic meters of ice, enough for the irrigation of 1,750 hectares. Similar technologies are being applied in India, while in Peru, local communities use natural plant filters to purify water contaminated with minerals due to glacier melting.
Nevertheless, Qu Dongyu stressed that the efforts of individual countries alone are not enough. Water is a resource dependent on the state of glaciers, and ignoring their disappearance could lead to a collapse of global security. The International Year for Glacier Conservation in 2025, in collaboration with UNESCO and WMO, aims to unite the efforts of the global community in the fight to preserve these vital resources.
