PURPOSE: The Second Committee at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted Tajikistan’s initiative to declare 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and to proclaim March 21st as World Day of Glaciers, to be starting in 2025. Glacier melt delivers nutrients into lakes, rivers, and oceans. Those nutrients can drive blooms of phytoplankton—the base of aquatic and marine food chains. The World Day of Glaciers highlights the importance of glaciers as an integral component of the hydrological cycle and the serious impact of their accelerated melting on climate, the environment, human health, and sustainable development. World Day for Glaciers aim to raise global awareness about the critical role of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate system and the hydrological cycle, and the economic, social and environmental impacts of the impending changes in the Earth’s cryosphere. In this regard and in addressing the issues related to accelerated melting of glaciers and its consequences, the World Day for Glaciers also aim at encouraging the exchange of knowledge and best practices regarding glacier preservation and adaptation strategies. The initiative was proposed by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan at the first meeting of the Water and Climate Leaders in their Call for Action on 3 March 2021 and included in the tangible outcomes in the Water and Climate Leaders Action Plan for Integrated Water and Climate Agenda adopted during the Leaders’ meeting in Dushanbe on 4th June 2022.

FORUM: ”Cryosphere, Water and Gender Equality.” World Day of Glaciers 2026. The Glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate, threatening water supplies, ecosystems, and millions of livelihoods worldwide, The melting of glaciers affects everyone: people living in coastal areas affected by sea level rise, people living in high mountain areas more prone to the risks of flooding, landslides and avalanches, and people living in downstream areas that are dependent on water supply from glaciers. Melting glaciers and ice sheets were identified as one of the largest contributors of sea level rise in the past decades according to IPCC and the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Icebergs are melting at an alarming rate, with a third of the sites set to disappear by 2050. In the same time frame, most remaining tropical glaciers in South America, Africa and Asia will vanish. Glacier loss is also accompanied by the loss of biodiversity, especially of endemic species, as well as the loss of cultural values and traditional ways of life. Glacier retreat clearly presents a serious threat to natural and human water supplies in many parts of the world. The International Year and World Day for Glaciers therefore focus on providing concrete recommendations to address climate change impacts on the cryosphere which result in increasingly irreversible losses, on advocating for more ambitious mitigation, on convening countries and communities affected by glacier loss for sharing knowledge and best practices for preservation and adaptation, and on raising international funding for adaptation action in affected areas. The International Year and World Day complement the Five Years of Action for the Development of Mountain Regions 2023-2027 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2022. The Five Years of Action present the main outcome of the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development 2022 which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2021. The importance of initiatives related to the Earths’ cryosphere for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals are recognized by the adoption of the International Year and World Day. The activities are further linked to the implementation of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development” 2021-2028, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 and the Global Biodiversity Framework. During the day, we ask to participants Why Glaciers Matter and What can we do to preserve them?. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #21march, #Worlddayofglaciers, #permafrost, #glaciers.

EVENTS: On March 21st at the UNHQ; The second edition of the World Day for Glaciers will be celebrated with a webinar taking place in New York. All Member States, UN entities, other international and regional organizations, and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, individuals and other relevant stakeholders are invited to observe World Day of Glaciers 2026. The UNESCO and WMO in cooperation with governments and relevant organizations of the UN system are invited to the observance of the World Day of Glaciers and develop necessary proposals on all activities, such as establishing an integrated global cryosphere information system and an international mechanism to facilitate access to accurate and timely information on the cryosphere.

Expected Outcomes • Increased Awareness: Heightened public and stakeholder awareness of the importance of glaciers and the need for their preservation, leading to greater support for sustainable measures. • Enhanced Collaboration: Strengthened collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders, including governments, scientists, civil society, and local communities, fostering transboundary and regional cooperation. • Policy Advances: Improved policy frameworks and integration of glacier preservation into national and international agendas, including climate change adaptation, water management, and disaster risk reduction strategies. • Scientific Insights: Expanded scientific understanding of glacier dynamics, climate change impacts, and associated risks, leading to more effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. • Cryosphere Initiatives: Increased implementation of sustainable measures for cryosphere systems, including community-led, citizen science initiatives, monitoring systems, innovative technologies, and integrated water resource management approaches. • Increase in funding support: By strengthening financial support, we can ensure the availability of adequate resources to monitor glaciers, understand their changes, and effectively manage the impacts of climate change on water resources. This will contribute to the resilience of communities, ecosystems, and economies that depend on glaciers for water supply and other critical services. Register to participate!

On March 18-19 th 2026, at UNESCO's Headquarters in Paris, (Room I), the UNESCO, WMO and the IYGP Community held a High-Level event to mark the World Day for Glaciers by closing the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation 2025 and launching the new Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences with dedicated sessions and side events highlighting the vital links between cryosphere, water and gender equality. The 2026 celebrations will close the IYGP 2025, present its outcomes, and introduce the first governance and action architecture of the Decade, alongside World Water Day high-level sessions and partner-led side events. Registration via Zoom.

  • Moderator: Ms Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences and Social Sciences, UNESCO

  • Opening Remarks: Professor Khaled El-Enany, Director-General, UNESCO

  • Opening Statements: H.E. Mr Olivier Poivre d’Arvor, Ambassador, Special Envoy of the President for the Poles and the Ocean, French Republic; H.E. Mr. Jamshed Homidzoda, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to France; H.E. Ms Xinyu Yang, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the People's Republic of China to UNESCO; H.E. Mr Liborio Stellino, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Italy to UNESCO; H.E. Mr Pierre Faye, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the Republic of Senegal to UNESCO; H.E. Mr Benedikt Wechsler, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the Swiss Confederation to UNESCO, H.E. Ms Anna Nsubuga, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to UNESCO

11:00-12:30 High-Level Panel Session 

Closing of the  International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP)

  • Moderators and Keynote: Ms Carolina Adler and Mr John Pomeroy, Co-Chairs of the Advisory Board of the IYGP2025

  • Presentations and Roundtable: Ms Sara Manuelli, Mountain Partnership Secretariat at FAO, lead of the Task Force 1: Global Campaign for IYPG2025; Ms Neera Shrestha Pradhan, ICIMOD, lead of the Task Force 2: International Conferences, Regional Workshops, and Capacity Building; Mr James McPhee, University of Chile in Santiago, lead of the Task Force 3: Research and Monitoring Initiative; Ms Pam Pearson, ICCI, Lead of Task Force 4: Policy Advocacy, Partnerships, and Resources Mobilization; Mr Koen Verbist, Programme Specialist, UNESCO; Ms Sulagna Mishra, Scientific Officer, WMO; Ms Zoë Johnson, PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan

  • Q&A Session

12:30-13:00 Handover Ceremony from the Year to the Decade

  • Moderator: Mr Abou Amani, Secretary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme of UNESCO

  • Keynote on the Decade: Mr John Pomeroy, Chair of the Ad Hoc Management Committee of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034

  • Intervention on the synergies between the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences and International Polar Year 2032-2033 from Ms Narelle van der Wel, Head, Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services Unit, WMO

13:00-14:30 Lunch Break

14:30 - 15:30 High-Level Panel Session  “The Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034”

  • Moderator: Mr Anil Mishra (UNESCO)

  • Presentation: Towards the Implementation of the Decade

  • Panelists: Mr Yao Tandong, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Science; Ms Heidi Sevestre, Glaciologist and science communicator, Secretariat of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP). Mr Qianggong Zhang, Senior Climate Change and Environment Specialist, and Head of the Climate and Environmental Risks Unit at ICIMOD; Ms Maria Grigoratou, Executive Secretary of the European Polar Board; Mr Michael Zemp, Director of the World Glacier Monitoring Service, University of Zurich; Ms Pam Pearson, Director, International Cryosphere Climate Initiative; Mr John Pomeroy, UNESCO Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change; Ms Salomé Mormentyn, Polar Initiative Manager, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

15:50 - 16:50 Panel Session entitled ‘‘Cryosphere loss and its consequences for Water resources.’’

  • Moderator: Mr Jeremy Ely, University of Sheffield.

  • Panelists: Mr Kaveh Madani, Director, Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations University (UNU); Ms. Helena Thybell, Executive Director, Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI); Ms Liss M. Andreassen, Immediate Past President of the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences; Mr Bapon Fakhruddin, Water Resources Management Senior Specialist, Green Climate Fund (GCF); Ms. Lynda Brown, Inuit Cultural Educator, Canada; Mr. Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson, Icelandic Meteorological Office; Ms Grace Goodfellow, Association of Polar Early Career Scientists.

On March 18th, 2026, from 09:00 - 10:30 at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris - Rooms II, VI, VII, IX, XI, Cinema - Parallel Side-Events n°1.

Room IX - Side-Event 01 - Tears of the Glacier; Room VII - Side-Event 02 - Cryosphere in Crisis: Pathways for a Safe and Just Future; Room VI -Side-Event 03 - TPGE: Third Pole Glacier Melt and Earth System Consequences; Room XI - Side-Event 04 -Leveraging the Science Decade: Opportunities for Partnerships and Collective Action; Room II -Side-Event 05 - Towards an international governance for the protection of glaciers and postglacial ecosystems, Cinema - Side-Event 6 - Stories from the Cryosphere: Glaciers on the Edge – Screening of the winning films of the 2026 Short Film Competition.

11:00 - 12:30; Parallel Side-Events n°2

Room IX - Side-Event 07 - Beyond Glacier Loss: biodiversity monitoring, hazard assessment, governance, and citizen action for the future of cryospheric landscapes; Room VII -Side-Event 08 - Tara Polaris : studying and protecting the Arctic Ocean, sentinel of the climate; Room VI -Side-Event 09 - The Glaciers Fresk; Room XI -Side-Event 10 - Indigenous and Indigenous Youth-led action for glaciers and mountains: Room II -Side-Event 11 - Inter-Polar dialogue on People, Glaciers, and Climate; Cinema - Side-Event 12 - Documentary screening « After the Glaciers »

12:30 - 13:25 - Lunch break

13:25 - 13:45 The Global Water Ceremony 

From 14:00 - 15:30; Organized by Glacier Nation in UNESCO's garden Parallel Side-Events n°3.

Room IX -Side-Event 13 - Science to Societies: Ethical and Action-Oriented Adaptation to Cryospheric Loss; Room VII - Side-Events 14 - PolarPod - Understanding to act: PERSEVERANCE in Antarctica; Room VI -Side-Event 15 - Exposition immersive Eau précieuse – Immersive exhibition “Eau précieuse”; Room XI - Side-Event 16 - Glaciers, Water and Mountain Ecosystems in the Andes; Room II - Side-Event 17: Glacier Loss from Climate Change and New Risks to Sustainable Development in Glacier and Downstream Nations; Cinema - Side-Event 18 - ARCTIC GLACIERS, STATE OF PLAY.

16:00 - 17:30 Parallel Side-Events n°4.

Room IX - Side-Event 19 - Ice Memory, a world first: the legacy of mountain glaciers preserved in Antarctica; Room VII -Side-Event 20 - Integrated Observation and Prediction Systems for the Cryosphere; Room VI - Side-Event 21 - Dans la peau d’un jeune : un escape game pour comprendre la cryosphère et le rôle de la médiation scientifique; Room XI -Side-Event 22 - Art for the cryosphere; Room II - Special Event - UN World Water Development Report 2026, Water for All People, Equal rights and opportunities; Cinema - Side-Event 24 - Seeing and hearing glaciers.

18:00 - 20:00 At UNESCO Restaurant, 7th Floor; a Reception organized by the Permanent Delegation of the People's Republic of China to UNESCO and Polar Hub.

In-person Side-Events

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PODCASTS: The intervenants will highlight the various impacts of glacier changes on downstream communities and ecosystems, and will focus on the urgent need for developing water-related adaptation strategies in areas affected by shrinking or disappearing glaciers, more transboundary cooperation and community engagement, alongside continued support for ambitious reductions in fossil fuel consumption. Listen the audio-podcasts!

CAMPAIGN: Take appropriate steps to organize the implementation of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, explore the action tookit, the poster and other materials; The campaign will engage youth audiences and develop synergies with the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034). Learn More on the "Save our glaciers" campaign. Get the communication materials!

WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?

HOW TO GET INVOLVED!

PARTNERSHIPS

We celebrate the world Day of Glaciers to:

• Raise Awareness: Increase public and stakeholder awareness at all levels about the importance of glaciers in the climate system, hydrological cycle and global water resources, the differential impacts of glacier changes on downstream communities and ecosystems, and the urgent action needed to develop adaptation strategies. • Promote Action: Facilitate the implementation of sustainable measures and best practices for the preservation of glaciers, encouraging transboundary cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and innovative approaches. • Enhance Scientific Understanding: Support scientific research and monitoring initiatives to improve the understanding of glacier changes, the impacts of climate change, possible loss and damages and the implications for communities, ecosystems and water resources. • Strengthen Policy Frameworks: Advocate for robust policy frameworks at national, regional, and international levels to address the preservation of glaciers, incorporating climate change adaptation, sustainable water management, and disaster risk reduction strategies. • Strengthen Financial Support: Ensure financial resources are made available to support glacier monitoring and management of the impact of climate change on glacier melt and downstream impacts.

Towards Regional Workshops and Capacity Building

  • Facilitate dialogue among policymakers, scientists, civil society, and relevant stakeholders to promote transdisciplinary collaboration and actionable solutions. • Organize regional workshops in collaboration with regional organizations to address specific challenges related to glaciers' preservation, considering regional contexts and needs. • Provide capacity-building programs, training workshops, and knowledge-sharing platforms for stakeholders, including policymakers, scientists, and local communities. • Convene countries and communities affected by glacier loss on the international, national and (inter-)regional level to strengthen advocacy, knowledge-sharing and experience exchange. • Support outreach, dissemination and communication through the GEF International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network (IW:LEARN)

In Research and Monitoring Initiatives

• Support scientific research projects and monitoring initiatives to enhance understanding of glacier dynamics, climate change impacts, and associated risks to ecosystems and water resources. • Support activities concerning transboundary impacts of glacier changes and transboundary cooperation and communication. • Foster collaboration among research institutions, universities, and relevant organizations to facilitate data sharing, analysis, and the development of predictive models. • Establish an Integrated Global Cryosphere Information System as a long-term mechanism to facilitate access to consistent cryosphere data and indicators and to develop standard approaches to monitor the cryosphere changes, integrated with the global water monitoring system in coordination with the World Glacier Monitoring Systems (WGMS). • Include Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) for effective management of water availability by mountain communities. • Establish an Open Science Policy platform to facilitate science-based consensus among countries on major challenges from melting glacier snow and permafrost to consequent water availability in the upstream-downstream hydrological systems in all mountain regions. • Encourage regional and international cooperative research programmes to further improve our knowledge about melting dynamics and peak water, and potential solutions to mitigate negative impact of glacier melt as well as strategies leading to reduced glacier melting rates. • Enhance data and information, and science-policy linkages on glaciers in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves including local stakeholders in the observation of glaciers and co-creation of knowledge. • Glacio-hydrological prediction systems and operational outlook mechanisms unite to predict glacier melt and to update future projections of expected meltwater. • Regular reporting on changes of glaciers and snow, at scales relevant to needs, is formalized and included in local, national, regional and global reporting mechanisms. • Assessment of short-term, medium-term, and long-term water availability for all mountain basins under current and future deglaciated conditions and climate. • Strengthen the monitoring, analytical and response capacities of institutions for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), through community and gender-sensitive training and awareness campaigns, and through the establishment of Early Warning Systems (EWS) for mountain systems. • Assessment of societal risks and vulnerabilities associated with Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and addressing these risks and vulnerabilities to establish a framework for early detection of potential glacier-related hazards and risks.

.The UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) join forces to champion the cause of glaciers. They are the leading UN agencies in charge of the International Day and the International Year of Glaciers.

In Policy Advocacy and Partnerships

• Advocate for the integration of glacier preservation considerations into national and regional climate change strategies, water management policies, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) plans. • Forge partnerships with international organizations, NGOs, private sectors, and academia to leverage expertise, resources, and funding for glacier preservation initiatives. • Strengthen coordination by linking global data centres including existing international organizations working on cryosphere such as the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) as well as existing monitoring systems such as World Glacier Monitoring Services (WGMS), Glacier and Permafrost Hazards in Mountains (GAPHAZ), Global Land and Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) and Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI). • Establish plans for reducing the carbon footprint of the scientific community with the goal of glacier preservation.

How to Mobilize Funding Support ?

• Invite governments, international organizations and private sector entities, philanthropic foundations, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss possible funding and resources mobilization from various sources. • Secure dedicated funding for glacier monitoring programs and research projects as well as capacity building programs. • Target climate finance to support adaptation actions aimed at increasing the resilience and adaptive capacity of communities and ecosystems directly affected by glacier retreat and associated risks, as well as downstream regions that depend on glaciers.

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