India reaffirms Commitment to Glacier Preservation at the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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India reaffirms Commitment to Glacier Preservation at the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation

Posted 02 Jun 2025

1 min read

The conference was organised in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in collaboration with UNESCO and World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

Why Glaciers are Important?

  • Freshwater Reservoirs: Only 3% of Earth’s water is fresh, and two-thirds is frozen in glaciers.
  • River Ecosystem: E.g. Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) (~54,000 glaciers) contribute ~ 40% of Indus River system’s flow.
  • Natural archives of Earth's climate: Store records up to 800,000 years, aiding in understanding warming & cooling cycles.
  • Monsoon Regulation: Temperature difference between Himalayan glaciers & Indian Ocean pulls South West monsoon.

Initiatives Taken

  • India
    • National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) - a key component of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
    • Centre for Cryosphere and Climate Change Studies: For monitoring of glaciers in Indian Himalayan Region.
    • Disaster preparedness: E.g. Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk mapping.
  • Global
    • Declared International Year of Glaciers Preservation, 2025 (by UNESCO and WMO) & Decade (2025–2034) of Action for Cryospheric Sciences.
    • Paris Agreement: To limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
    • International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD): Intergovernmental institution to preserve HKH.
  • Tags :
  • Glaciers
  • Glacier Preservation
  • Hindu-Kush Himalayas
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