Latest news with #InternationalYearofGlaciers'Preservation
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Pakistan won't let India cross water treaty red line: PM
DUSHANBE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains, outrightly rejecting weaponization of water. Addressing the three-day high-level international conference on Glaciers' Preservation being held in Dushanbe from May 29-31, 2025, Shehbaz Sharif said 'Delhi's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Water Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed.' Shehbaz Sharif warned that there are 13,000 glaciers in Pakistan and they are fast melting due to climate change. 'Pakistan gets half of its water from these glaciers and Sindh River is its lifeline,' he added. Apprising the participants about the impacts of climate change on Pakistan, the prime minister reaffirmed the country's unwavering commitment to environmental protection and glacier conservation. The international conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice-presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general. In his comprehensive address, Shehbaz Sharif touched all the relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan's climate vulnerability, 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponization of water and call to protect nature and humanity's shared destiny. 'The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new low—the weaponization of water,' he told the international conference being hosted by Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation. The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution, had declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, 21st of March as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025, and that the Government of Tajikistan will host the International Conference on the subject in 2025.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Won't allow India to cross IWT red line: PM
Rejecting the weaponisation of water, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday warned that Pakistan would not allow India to cross the red line by holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and endangering millions of lives for narrow political gains. "India's unilateral and illegal decision to hold in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, which governs the sharing of the Indus Basin's water, is deeply regrettable. Millions of lives must not be held hostage to narrow political gains, and Pakistan will not allow this. We will never allow the red line to be crossed," the prime minister said, addressing the three-day High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation. The conference is being attended by over 2,500 delegates from 80 UN member states and 70 international organizations, including prime ministers, vice presidents, ministers, and UN assistant secretaries-general. The prime minister, in his comprehensive address, touched all the relevant issues, including glacial preservation, Pakistan's climate vulnerability, the 2022 floods in Pakistan, global climate action and responsibility, scientific projections on glacial melt, weaponisation of water and call to protect nature and humanity's shared destiny. "The world today bears fresh scars from the use of conventional weapons in Gaza that have left deep wounds. As if that were not enough, we are now witnessing an alarming new lowthe weaponisation of water," he told the international conference being hosted by the Government of Tajikistan in collaboration with the United Nations, UNESCO, WMO, the Asian Development Bank, and other key partners as a historic moment for climate ambition, glacier preservation, and international cooperation. The 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a resolution, had declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, 21st of March as World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025, and that the Government of Tajikistan will host the International Conference on the subject in 2025. The prime minister said that Pakistan, being home to over 13,000 glaciers, was the most concerning as glaciers contributed nearly half of the annual flows in the Indus River system – the lifeline of our civilisation, culture and economy.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists issue urgent warning over experimental glacier-saving technologies: 'Mitigation alone seems to be insufficient'
Proposals designed to save vanishing glaciers might be overlooking the complex ecosystems that exist within massive blocks of ice. The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation. It is part of an effort to highlight the importance of glaciers and their plight as the world continues to warm. An international group of scientists is cautioning anyone attempting to use glacier-saving technology that they must remember these valuable resources are more than just blocks of ice. Scientists from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria wrote a commentary that was published in the science journal Nature. While they want to save glaciers, they are concerned about doing it the right way. "Today, as carbon emissions continue to rise, mitigation alone seems to be insufficient," a statement read. "Technological interventions are starting to be explored — including making ice more reflective using tiny glass beads, enhancing snowfall through cloud seeding and wrapping glaciers in protective films and geotextiles." "However, glaciers are much more than frozen ice. Just like oceans and rainforests, glaciers and ice sheets are teeming with life." The team of scientists pointed out that the biome of a glacier is mostly made up of microorganisms that can only be seen with the naked eye when algae bloom. One of the important functions of glacier microbes is storing environmental pollutants, which helps slow the downstream spread of contaminants, such as heavy metals. "This microscopic ecosystem contains members of all three domains of life — archaea, bacteria and eukaryotes," noted the researchers. "As momentum builds for technical interventions to slow, halt, and even reverse glacier melting, we argue that these must incorporate the complexity of the icy biome that they aim to preserve." Scientists who study glaciers are interested in the genetic potential of certain microorganisms that have been found in Tibetan glaciers because they might produce antibiotics that allow them to "outcompete other ice-dwelling microbes." That special ability could have potential applications that might lead to medicinal breakthroughs, according to a study published in the Archives of Microbiology. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This review focuses on the novel source of drug discovery and cryospheric environments as a potential source for microbial metabolites having potential medicinal applications," said the authors of their study. "By adopting modern practical approaches, the discovery of bioactive compounds might fulfill the demand for new drug development." Even though certain regions of the world may be more resistant to ice melt, a study found that "this natural variability is being crushed everywhere by the impact of global warming." Other research has shown that melting is happening at a faster rate than previously thought: The more melting occurs, the faster it will continue to occur in the future. The release of heat-trapping gases from dirty energy sources needs to be halted to prevent the overheating of our planet. A transition to renewable energy options is vital. Signing up for community solar programs, making your next vehicle purchase an EV, and supporting eco-friendly brands that fight for our planet's future can all help. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
BBC News
22-03-2025
- BBC News
The UN has declared 2025 as the year of glacier preservation. Here's how to visit one safely
Alamy With glaciers disappearing at an alarming rate, 2025 has been named the Year of International Glacier Preservation. Here's how and where to see one responsibly before it's too late. On an exceptionally warm July day in 2022, certified mountain guide Andrea Milani took a lunch break from rock climbing near the Italian Dolomites' Passo Fedaia ascent. As he ate pizza with two friends, helicopters circled and ambulance sirens wailed in the distance. A massive chunk (80m wide and 25m high) had just broken off nearby Marmolada glacier, triggering an avalanche of ice, snow and debris. Milani's two friends who'd finished that descent just hours before meeting him were the lucky ones: 11 climbers tragically died that day. "Now more than ever, climate change is making glacier travel more dangerous. Rising temperatures mean the snow covering crevasses and seracs becomes less reliable, increasing the risk of hidden hazards," says Milani, who guides climbers, skiers, bikers and hikers of all levels safely across Northern Italy with Dolomite Mountains tours. The reality is that one-third of glaciers could disappear from climate change by 2050 – and for Marmolada, it's 2040. This is why the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation. It has also set 21 March 2025 as the first annual World Day for Glaciers in partnership with Unesco and the World Meteorological Organization. The initiatives aim to mobilise governments and organisations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and implement climate adaptation strategies to protect the planet's 200,000 glaciers as the Earth warms faster than ever before. "Worldwide, human-caused climate change has melted so much ice from glaciers that the meltwater has raised global sea level 8cm since 1900," says Patrick Gonzalez, former principal climate change scientist for the US National Park Service and assistant director for climate and biodiversity of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Sadly, scenes like the one at Marmolada have played out across the planet time and again. Over the past two decades, Bolivia's 18,000-year-old Chacaltaya glacier, once the world's highest ski resort, has melted completely. Italy and Switzerland were forced to redraw their shared borders last autumn due to the melt of the Matterhorn in Zermatt. And at Muir Glacier in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park, climate change has melted away a layer of ice as tall as New York's One World Trade Center. Alamy These slow-moving, fast-retreating dense masses of ice, snow and rock that have accumulated in the mountains over centuries on every continent except Australia are glaring evidence that man-made climate change exists. If all glaciers were to melt today, sea level would increase by a half a metre, leaving entire cities underwater, devastating ecosystems and depriving two billion people of drinking water. But travellers can still visit glaciers like Marmolada safely – they just need to know how. In fact, research has shown that seeing a glacier in nature can prompt us to protect the planet. Glaciers are now a symbol of its fragility, reminding us how, through simple cost-effective solutions like walking, biking and purchasing solar and wind energy, we can help limit global warming. While 91% of glaciers are in Antarctica, many can be found in more accessible parts of the world, so go visit one; it's easier than ever, just make sure you proceed with caution. Wapta Icefield, British Columbia, Canada Mountaineers, skiers and nature lovers from all over the world flock to the Canadian Rockies for irresistible high alpine terrain, and that includes the Columbia Icefields. Straddling the majestic Banff and Jasper national parks on the Continental Divide, it's all that's left of an ice mass that once enveloped most of western Canada's mountains. Ride the Ice Explorer train to the Athabasca Glacier to walk the glass-floored Columbia Icefield Skywalk with sweeping views over the waterfalls coming from the Sunwapta Valley's glacier and the famous mountain goats of Glacier Lookout along the cliffs. Shaun King If you are bold enough to climb the glacier, go with an experienced Yamnuska Mountain Adventures guide. You'll learn about glacier dynamics, route finding and risk management on one of the largest icefields in North America. It's an adventure that demands respect and preparation, says Yamnuska mountain guide Jesse de Montigny. "The primary danger is crevasses – deep, often hidden cracks in the ice that can be difficult to detect, especially when covered by snow," says de Montigny. "Weather conditions can change rapidly, creating whiteout conditions that make navigation difficult. Proper rope systems, glacier travel techniques and crevasse rescue knowledge are essential for mitigating risk in these environments." Mendenhall, Alaska Mendenhall is one of more than 100,000 glaciers in what's appropriately called the "Glacier State". Inside the Tongass National Forest, 19km from Juneau along the Alaska-Canada border in south-eastern Alaska, is the Juneau Icefield. It's also one of Alaska's only glaciers that can be reached for viewing by car or shuttle; start your adventure at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. More like this: • Visiting Antarctica or the Arctic? Here's how to minimise your impact • Why humans are drawn to the ends of the Earth • Antarctic tourism: Should we just say no? Since it has been melting excessively in recent years, you'll need to join a helicopter tour to get more than a look out at the glacier; to hike it (or fly over it) try Alaska Shore Excursions. (The glacier's ice caves are no longer safely accessible.) Alamy Note: As of 13 March, the majority of the glacier's Forest Service park rangers and staff were laid off due to federal cuts, despite the tourist season commencing in April. Meanwhile the Juneau Icefield is melting five times faster than it was in the 1980s. Marmolada, Italian Dolomites It's worth overcoming your fear of heights for the "Queen of the Dolomites", located within Northern Italy's 12 interconnected Dolomiti Superski resorts. Take the cable car up, and whether you ride back down or ski the glacier, make a stop at Europe's highest museum to learn about World War One tunnels dug by Austro-Hungarian soldiers who lived there for months in their glacier "Ice City". Crevasses can be sneaky, hiding under thin layers of snow, so knowing how to spot and test them is crucial – Andrea Milani If you decide to brave mountaineering or climbing, be sure to hire a guide. Miliani always tells his Dolomite Mountains tour groups to stay aware and read the environment. "Glacier mountaineering isn't just about skill; it's about preparation, experience and respect for the environment, he says. His advice? Distance yourself from the next climber (by 8-12m) moving along the rope at a steady pace and avoid sudden movements that could throw off your balance. Check the map and the weather (the colder the better), and most importantly, the avalanche forecast. Wear the right gear, pack a self-rescue kit, GPS, compass, altimeter and radio or satellite phone. And don't leave home without taking a first-aid course. "Crevasses can be sneaky, hiding under thin layers of snow, so knowing how to spot and test them is crucial," he adds. "If you're crossing a snow bridge [an arc formed by snow across a crevasse] make sure it's stable before stepping onto it. And let's not forget seracs and avalanche zones – don't hang around under them longer than necessary." It's just got easier to visit Chamonix's Mer de Glace (also known as Montenvers), only second in size in the Alps to Switzerland's Aletsch Glacier. This iridescent ice aqua glacier – transmitting a blue wavelength and absorbing all the other colours – has become harder to view after losing 6m of thickness a year. Alamy Since last year, though, visitors' can now see Mer de Glace via a new gondola from a 1,913m-high panoramic platform. There's an on-site restaurant, coffee shop, museum and even an ice cave that visitors can still walk through – originally cut into the glacier in 1992 by high mountain guides and now re-dug every summer because, like icebergs, glaciers are always moving, more than ever now. Access the gondola by taking the train up the mountain from Chamonix town centre. -- If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. Thoughtful Travel Adventure Mountain Hiking Features
Khaleej Times
22-03-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Opinion: How Wastewater Solutions Can Safeguard Our Water Future
As we commemorate World Water Day and look ahead to the "International Year of Glaciers' Preservation" in 2025, the stark reality of our changing climate demands urgent action. Glaciers, those frozen rivers of water, are essential to the water cycle, providing a vital source of freshwater for drinking, sanitation, agriculture, industry, and even clean energy production. But these icy giants are melting at an alarming rate, driven by heat waves, rising temperatures, and longer summers. The consequences are potentially catastrophic, threatening ecosystems and exacerbating both water scarcity and water-related hazards, demanding immediate and decisive intervention to safeguard our planet's future. While the focus is rightly on preserving these vital ice reserves, we must also acknowledge that even with the most ambitious climate mitigation efforts, some glacial melt is inevitable. This is not an isolated phenomenon; it triggers a domino effect with far-reaching consequences, impacting regions across the globe. As glaciers shrink, and freshwater supplies dwindle, innovative water management solutions, particularly wastewater treatment and reuse, become absolutely critical for securing our water future, especially in water-stressed regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The MENA region, already grappling with severe water scarcity, faces an even greater challenge as glacial melt patterns shift and potentially diminish freshwater supplies. Supporting 12% of the world's population with a mere 1% of its renewable freshwater resources, the MENA region faces a critical nexus of water insecurity. This vulnerability to climate change is further compounded by already strained water resources and rapid population growth, making diversifying water sources and embracing sustainable practices absolutely imperative. At TAQA Water Solutions, we see wastewater treatment and reuse not just as an environmental necessity but as a strategic investment in water security, especially crucial in the face of diminishing glacial melt. Every drop counts. With a total wastewater treatment capacity of 1.3 million cubic meters per day and an impressive 80% utilisation rate, we are efficiently positioned to meet Abu Dhabi's growing demand for high-quality recycled water. This significantly reduces reliance on increasingly strained water sources. Think of it: recycled water revitalising ecosystems, supports biodiversity, and fosters environmental conservation for wildlife, flora, and fauna, a commitment exemplified by the Al Wathba Ghaf Grove, where over 1,000 trees are nurtured by recycled water. From there, it extends to greening urban landscapes, irrigating agriculture, and even recharging aquifers. Recycled water is reinvigorating Abu Dhabi's landmarks, from the verdant Al Ain forests to the iconic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, proving its indispensable role in a resilient water future. Wastewater reuse is a powerful tool but must be used as one element of a broader comprehensive solution. To truly safeguard our water future, we need a holistic, integrated approach that leverages synergies and collaborations across the water sector. As part of TAQA Group, TAQA Water Solutions is uniquely positioned to enable these comprehensive and innovative solutions. This includes smarter water management through the use of smart technology sensors, real-time monitoring, and data analytics to optimise water collection and distribution, detect leaks, and minimise waste. Furthermore, we must invest in nature-based solutions to reduce runoff and enhance biodiversity. By combining these measures and realising overall water demand, we can significantly lessen the pressure on all freshwater sources. This vision demands collaboration. Public-private partnerships are not optional; they are essential for unlocking the expertise, resources, and innovation needed to rapidly deploy resilient water solutions. TAQA Water Solutions' new partnership with the New Tashkent City Directorate exemplifies this new era in water security. Building on last year's success in leading the development of Tashkent's largest wastewater treatment plant, we are now exploring a second transformative project with the development of a 65km raw water transmission pipeline and a cutting-edge water treatment plant. This ambitious undertaking aims to provide a reliable supply of clean water for approximately 2 million people in New Tashkent City, significantly enhancing the city's water resilience. Moreover, our collaboration with the Kazakhstan Investment Development Fund (KIDF) to revitalise water treatment infrastructure in one of the driest regions, demonstrates how strategic partnerships can overcome even the most pressing water challenges. This collaboration serves as a blueprint for a water-secure future, a future built together, with businesses investing in innovative solutions and communities adopting responsible water habits. On this World Water Day, as we reflect on the critical importance of glacier preservation, let us remember that every action counts. TAQA Water Solutions is demonstrating how innovative wastewater solutions can directly mitigate the impact of glacial melt by reducing reliance on freshwater sources. I urge individuals and businesses across the region to embrace this approach, fostering collaboration and building capacity to safeguard our water future. By embracing innovation, and investing in solutions like those pioneered by TAQA Water Solutions, we can mitigate the impact of glacial melt and ensure a water-resilient future for generations to come. Let's act now, investing in innovative solutions and responsible practices, to secure a resilient water future that benefits both present and future generations.
