… of glaciers’ preservation 2025

The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation. Additionally, starting from 2025, March 21 is recognized as the World Day of Glaciers.

Both events aim to raise global awareness about the critical role of glaciers, snow and ice in the climate system. They aim to draw attention to the effects of changes in the Earth’s cryosphere on sea-level rise, the hydrological cycle, geohazards, and related impacts on our economy and society. These events also aim to encourage the exchange of data, knowledge, and best practices regarding glacier preservation and adaptation strategies.

The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 and World Day for Glaciers were proposed by Tajikistan, adopted by a UN General Assembly resolution inviting UNESCO and WMO, in cooperation with UN Member States and relevant organizations such as the WGMS, to facilitate their implementation.

During 2025, many international, but also national events will address the role of glaciers in the global system. We will provide here an overview of events and activities, relevant for international and national glacier monitoring, glacier changes and related impacts:

Activities:

• Glacier Casualty List Project
• A Special Annals of Glaciology Collection – Vanishing Glaciers
• Goodbye Glaciers

Events:

Events on World Day for Glaciers (21.3.2025):

• World Day for Glaciers & World Water Day 2025 celebration (UNESCO, Paris; France): meeting 9-19 CET, on site
• Swiss Glaciers in a Changing Climate (GLAMOS, Jungfraujoch; Switzerland): press conference 11:30-12:30 CET, hybrid
• The Transformation of the Calderone Glacier: Challenges from Recent Monitoring Efforts (Univerisity of L’Aquila, L’Aquila; Italy): workshop, on site
• Commemoration of the glaciers of Colombia (Preliminary Title) (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, IDEAM, National Natural Parks; Colombia): workshop, hybrid
• Journée Internationale de la préservation des glaciers (Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement, Grenoble; France): press conference, seminar, excursion (3 days)
• Den internasjonale Bredagen (Klimahuset, Unvierity of Oslo; Norway): seminar 9-16 CET, hybrid (event website)
• 21 Marzo – Giornata Mondiale dei Ghiacciai (Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma; Italy): workshop 9-18 CET, hybrid (event website)

Events related to the IYGP:

• WGMS @ COP29 (virtually, 21.11.24): From Global Glacier Monitoring to the Global Glacier Casualty List
• 2025, February 27/28: 28th Alpine Glaciology Meeting, Innsbruck, AT
• 2025, September 14-18: International Mountain Conference, Innsbruck, AT

If you are also organizing a related event and want to have it listed, please register here.

The IYGP marks the opening of the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034!