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Global Glaciers Shrink Dramatically, Himalayas Show Dire Impact
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Firstpost•22-09-2026, 16:01
Global Glaciers Shrink Dramatically, Himalayas Show Dire Impact
- •Mountain glaciers have lost 6.2% of their mass since 2000, with the Himalayas illustrating the severe consequences on the ground.
- •Between October 2024 and September 2025, glaciers globally lost 408 gigatonnes of ice, raising sea levels by 1.1 mm in a single year.
- •The World Meteorological Organization's 2025 report highlights that six of the seven worst years for glacier loss have occurred in the past seven years.
- •Regions like Central Asia, South Asia West, and Western Canada experienced their worst mass balances on record.
- •WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo likens the planet's dwindling water reserves to a depleted savings account, emphasizing the accelerating loss due to summer melt outpacing winter snow accumulation.
Key Questions Answered
Mountain glaciers across the globe have shed 6.2 per cent of their ice mass since 2000 due to summer melt consistently outpacing winter snow accumulation.
Between October 2024 and September 2025, global glaciers lost 408 gigatonnes of ice, which is enough meltwater to raise sea levels by approximately 1.1 mm in a single year.
Satellite data indicates that the front of Argentina's Perito Moreno glacier pulled back by a record 385 metres in 2025, marking its steepest single-year retreat since 1997 as its submerged holding ridge loses its grip.
