奇速英语

联合国启动2025国际冰川保护年

In 2025, the United Nations will launch the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, alongside establishing March 21 as the annual World Day for Glaciers. These initiatives, proposed by Tajikistan and adopted through a UN resolution, aim to raise global awareness about the vital role of glaciers, snow, and ice in Earth’s climate system. They emphasize the urgent need to address the impacts of melting glaciers on sea-level rise, water cycles, natural disasters, and human societies.

Glaciers, often called the “water towers of the world”, provide freshwater for billions of people. However, they are shrinking at unprecedented rates due to climate change, threatening water security, ecosystems, and economies. To tackle these challenges, UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in collaboration with member states and institutions like the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), will organize international and national events throughout 2025. These activities will focus on sharing data, promoting glacier preservation strategies, and fostering adaptation measures.

A key event will be the first joint celebration of the World Day for Glaciers and World Water Day on March 20-21, 2025, hosted in Paris and New York. The high-level meeting at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris will highlight the consequences of glacier loss for downstream communities and stress the importance of cross-border cooperation, youth engagement, and reducing fossil fuel use. Additionally, the 2025 World Water Development Report, titled High Mountains and Glaciers, will be released during the event. This report will provide scientific insights into glacier-dependent water systems and offer guidance for sustainable management and climate adaptation.

The celebrations will also mark the start of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025–2034), a global effort to advance research on Earth’s frozen regions. By strengthening international collaboration in monitoring and studying glaciers, this decade aims to improve comprehension of cryosphere (冰冻圈) changes and support vulnerable regions in adapting to environmental shifts.

Through these initiatives, the UN calls for immediate action to protect glaciers — not only as critical climate indicators but also as irreplaceable resources for humanity’s survival. The success of these efforts relies on combining scientific knowledge, policy innovation, and public participation to secure a sustainable future.