We are delighted to announce that Deplete and Retreat will be represented at the first ever UNESCO World Day for Glaciers celebration in Paris, 20-21 March 2025.
UNESCO state that this high level event, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, will serve as a platform for dialogue and action regarding the state of the World’s glaciers and global water security, communities and ecosystems.
World leaders, policymakers, scientists, civil society and advocacy groups are coming together in Paris to discuss together the importance of glaciers in global water systems, their impact on ecosystems, sea levels and human societies, and to drive concerted action to protect water supplies and glaciers for future generations.
Side event: A vanishing mountain cryosphere
We are delighted to be contributing to a Side Event: A vanishing mountain cryosphere and its importance to the water cycle under climate change. This hybrid virtual and in-person side event will explore changing climate and shrinking glaciers in the Andes and central and south Asia.
Register to attend
You can attend the side event in-person if you are attending the meeting in Paris, or alternatively, you can join online for free:
https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_T9ygbVxfR9asLGM4T8Ko1Q
Agenda
Times zones all on Paris time zone (Central European Time, UTC+1)
1630 – 1720: Short talks
- 16:30-16:35: Introduction and Overview: Anesa Sasivarevic
- Short Talks. Chairs: Anesa Sasivarevic, Dr Thomas Shaw
- 16:35-16:50: Climate, glaciers and water resources in the Andes
- Speakers: Dr Owen King, Prof. Juan Luis-Garcia
- 16:50-17:05: MODSNOW cryosphere monitoring system in Central and South Asia
- Speaker: Dr Abror Gafurov
- 17:05-17:20: Glaciers and droughts in a warming climate.
- Speaker: Prof. Francesca Pellicciotti (science), 7.5 mins
Glaciers and droughts in the World’s Water Towers: why we need a paradigm change. - Speaker: Sophie Falkeis (art meets science), 7.5 mins
A visual art concept: how speculative design can help us imagining possible cascades effects under futures glaciers shrinkage and droughts.
- Speaker: Prof. Francesca Pellicciotti (science), 7.5 mins
1720-1800: Panel discussion
An exciting and interactive panel discussion. Speakers include experts in mountain glacier, climate and hydrology.
- Moderator: Prof. Bethan Davies
- Speakers: Prof. Wouter Buytaert, Dr Jeremy Ely, Dr Sihan Li, Prof. Walter Immerzeel, Prof. James McPhee, Dr Abror Gafurov.
- The panel discussion will address the following broad overarching questions, and also encourage questions from the in-person and online audience:
- What are the key controls on the timing of peak water and then water resource decline?
- What is needed for glaciers to maintain their vital role in supporting water resources in coming decades?
- How are extreme events altering the mountain water cycle?
- How will snow change in a changing climate, and what are the implications for mountain glaciers and water resources?
- How will glacier decline impact water availability down-valley?
For more information on the full program of the celebration of the first World Day for Glacier and World Water Day on 20-21 March 2025 please visit this page.
Thank you for raising awareness about glaciers on this important day! Protecting glaciers is vital for our planet’s health—let’s all support efforts to preserve them.
What a compelling insight into the International Day of the Glacier! I truly appreciate how you highlighted the urgency of glacier depletion. It’s alarming yet fascinating to see how global warming impacts these vital ecosystems. I wonder if there could be more interactive ways, like online games or simulations, to engage younger audiences in understanding this crisis—educational tools can really spark change! Thank you for shedding light on such an important topic. Keep up the fantastic work; your writing makes climate issues so accessible and engaging! By the way, I found some great resources at Snow Rider 3D that complement your themes here!
This post is such a crucial wake-up call. I’ll admit, reading about climate change usually stresses me out so much that I just zone out; I was literally hiding in my room playing the Dead Plate game to avoid thinking about the crazy unseasonal heatwave outside. But ignoring the ice melt won’t fix it. Happy International Day of the Glacier! Thanks for breaking down the science so clearly and reminding us why protecting these icy giants actually matters. Great read!