UN: Glacier Melt Threatens Water Supply for 2 Billion
Glaciers are shrinking at record rates, threatening the water supply for two billion people and putting global food production at risk, according to a UN report.
As mountain ice reserves disappear, the impact will be felt far beyond the immediate regions, disrupting agriculture, drinking water access and economic stability worldwide.
Mountain glaciers act as the planet’s "water towers," storing freshwater in winter and gradually releasing it in warmer months. This system has sustained ecosystems and human societies for centuries, but it is now collapsing.
The United Nations World Water Development Report 2025 highlights that two-thirds of irrigated agriculture depends on mountain water, meaning the disappearance of glaciers and reduced snowfall could destabilise global food production.
In mountainous regions, where more than a billion people live, the reliance on glacial meltwater is even greater. Up to half of those in developing countries already experience food insecurity and this number is set to rise.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) warns that in the past three years alone, glaciers have melted at an unprecedented rate, with the most severe losses recorded in Norway, Sweden, Svalbard and the tropical Andes.
This loss is not just a local problem. In the US, for example, the Colorado River Basin has been in drought since 2000. Higher temperatures mean less snow and more rain, which runs off quickly instead of slowly feeding rivers and reservoirs.
Similar issues are emerging in other key agricultural regions worldwide, threatening food security far from the glaciers themselves.
Climate risks extend beyond water shortages
The rapid retreat of glaciers triggers a cascade of risks. As ice disappears, it exposes dark rock and soil, which absorb more heat and accelerate climate change. This process is already being observed in the Alps and Pyrenees, where glaciers have shrunk by around 40% since the late 1990s.
Another major concern is the increasing instability of mountain landscapes. Melting glaciers and thawing permafrost weaken slopes, leading to more frequent avalanches and landslides. Sudden floods, caused by glacial lakes bursting their banks, pose further dangers to communities living downstream.
Eastern Africa has already lost 80% of its glaciers, while the Andes have seen between a one-third and one-half reduction in ice since 1998. Scientists predict that if global warming continues unchecked, as much as 41% of mountain glacier mass could vanish by 2100.
The consequences extend to industries that rely on mountain water, including hydropower, which provides electricity for millions.
Reduced water availability could force power stations to cut output, driving up energy prices and increasing reliance on fossil fuels. This, in turn, would contribute further to climate change — a vicious cycle with no easy solution.
A call for urgent action
Experts are urging immediate action to support communities facing growing water insecurity.
Alvaro Lario, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), highlights the paradox facing mountain regions: "Water flows downhill, but food insecurity rises uphill.
"Mountains provide 60% of our freshwater, but the communities that safeguard these vital resources are among the most food insecure."
Lario and others stress the need for investment in sustainable water management, infrastructure and climate adaptation strategies.
Unesco Director General Audrey Azoulay warns that "regardless of where we live, we all depend in some way on mountains and glaciers," making this a global crisis rather than a regional issue.
A previous study in Nature found that half of the world’s glacier mass could be gone by the end of the century unless global emissions are drastically reduced.
As climate change accelerates, the risks to water security, food supply chains and economic stability will only grow.
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