World Day for Glaciers Date in the current year: March 21, 2025

A glacier is a block of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight, creating various landforms such as cirques, fjords or moraines as it moves. 99% of the world’s glaciers are continental glaciers – huge ice sheets that cover most of the continent of Antarctica and about 80% of the surface of Greenland. The remaining 1% are found in mountain ranges on all continents except mainland Australia.

Glaciers cover about one-tenth of the Earth’s land surface and are the largest freshwater reservoirs on the planet, with ice sheets holding nearly 70% of the world’s freshwater. As freshwater reservoirs and indicators of climate change and environmental health, they play a critical role in regulating the global climate and providing freshwater for billions of people. It is estimated that more than 2 billion people depend on glaciers and snowmelt as a vital source of freshwater, which exceeds the combined populations of the United States and China.

However, due to climate change—primarily driven by human activities since the 1800s—these critical ice reserves are melting at an alarming rate. Rising global temperatures are accelerating glacial retreat, triggering water shortages and sea level rise, and increasing the risk of devastating natural disasters such as floods and landslides. As glaciers continue to retreat, today’s sea level is about 20 centimeters higher than it was in the early 20th century.

These cascading disruptions threaten ecosystems, human livelihoods, and economies around the world. By 2050, glaciers are expected to disappear from one-third of their current locations, with severe consequences for water availability, ecosystems, and coastal communities worldwide. Glacier melt and retreat is a global challenge that must to be addressed through the combined efforts of all countries.

In December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution designating 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and proclaiming March 21 as the World Day for Glaciers, to be observed annually starting in 2025. The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and the World Day for Glaciers are jointly facilitated by the World Meteorological Organization and UNESCO.

The main objective of the World Day for Glaciers is to educate the public about the critical role of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate and water cycle, to raise awareness about glacier melt, and to advocate for sustainable measures to preserve the planet’s glaciers. This initiative aims to ensure that communities dependent on glaciers, as well as those affected by cryospheric changes, receive essential hydrological, meteorological, and climate services. These efforts highlight the critical role of mountain regions as a primary source of global freshwater and vital ecosystem services.