Research finds glaciers far more vulnerable to global warming than earlier estimates

Glaciers worldwide are far more vulnerable to global warming than scientists previously estimated, with potentially catastrophic consequences for billions who depend on glacier-fed water systems, according to new research published in the journal Science.

- Jayashree Nandi

NEW DELHI:

The dangers from such climate crisis-linked change was evident on Wednesday. A massive rock and ice avalanche from Switzerland's Birch glacier thundered down a mountainside in Blatten, sending dust plumes skyward and coating the evacuated Alpine village with mud, according to a news report by AP.

The comprehensive study reveals that only 24% of current glacier mass would survive if global temperatures rise by 2.7°C—the warming trajectory anticipated under existing climate policies. However, limiting warming to 1.5°C could preserve 54% of glacier mass, highlighting the critical importance of aggressive climate action. The findings carry particular significance for the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), where glaciers sustain river systems supporting 2 billion people. Under 1.5°C warming, only 40% of the region's 2020 glacier mass would remain, plummeting to just 25% at 2°C warming.

"Our study makes it painfully clear that every fraction of a degree matters," said lead author Harry Zekollari from Vrije Universiteit Brussel. "The choices we make today will resonate for centuries, determining how much of our glaciers can be preserved."