Every March 22, World Water Day is celebrated, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 with the aim of raising awareness among the population about the importance of this essential resource and promoting actions for its conservation and sustainable management. In 2025, this event focuses on a key element for global water security: the conservation of glaciers.

As indicated by UNESCO, glaciers store approximately 70% of the planet’s fresh water. Its melting ice sustains drinking water supplies, agriculture, industry, clean energy production, and the balance of ecosystems. However, due to rising temperatures, these icy giants are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. The UN also warns that this retreat threatens to destabilize the water cycle, causing extreme phenomena such as droughts, floods, landslides, rising sea levels and loss of biodiversity.

In addition, the disappearance of glaciers not only affects water resources, but also the cultural and spiritual heritage of many communities. Many glaciers are considered sacred places and are recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

CONSERVE GLACIERS, PROTECT WATER AND LIFE

This year, UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization are leading the commemoration of World Water Day, within the framework of the International Year of Glacier Conservation. As part of this celebration, a high-level event was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This event brought together world leaders, policymakers, scientists and representatives of civil society to discuss the growing threat of melting ice and its impacts on water security, communities and ecosystems.

During the meeting, the World Water Development Report 2025, entitled “Great Mountains and Glaciers”, prepared by the UN, was presented. This report underscores the crucial role of glaciers in regulating water and ecosystem stability, providing data and analysis to guide sustainable water management and climate adaptation policies. In addition, the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034) has been launched, an initiative that seeks to strengthen international scientific cooperation and monitoring of changes in the cryosphere.

Along the same lines, the recent CLIVAR-Spain report highlights the concern about the state of the cryosphere in our territory. According to this report, the glaciers of the Iberian Peninsula have experienced a rapid decrease in their extent and thickness in the last decade, which puts at risk not only these unique ecosystems, but also the availability of essential water resources for southern Europe.

The report also warns of the accelerated degradation of permafrost in the Pyrenees and Sierra Nevada, with direct consequences on the stability of the terrain and an increase in the risk of landslides and avalanches. These changes are in addition to the progressive reduction in the duration and accumulation of snow cover, which significantly affects water systems that depend on snow and ice to ensure water supply.

GLACIERS, WATER AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

More than 3 billion people depend directly on water from shared water systems, many of them fed by glaciers. However, according to the UN, only 24 of the 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with neighboring nations have cooperation agreements regarding all these resources. Ensuring glacier conservation and strengthening international collaboration are essential to prevent conflict and ensure equitable and sustainable access to water.

Access to water and sanitation is also a human right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly since 2010 and a key component of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, especially reflected in Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): “Clean water and sanitation for all”.

Thus, conserving glaciers is an essential strategy for the survival of the planet and the well-being of present and future generations. On this day, the UN and UNESCO make an urgent call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adopt sustainable water management practices, strengthen scientific cooperation and raise awareness among citizens about the importance of this limited resource.