UNESCO calls melting glaciers a threat to 2 billion people

Climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers, which affects the supply of water and food to 2 billion people. This follows from the United Nations (UN) report on the state of the world's water resources for 2025, published on March 20 on the UNESCO website.

It is noted that the lives of 2 billion people depend on rocks, they are necessary to ensure the food and energy security of those who live in mountainous regions, areas downstream and around them.

In addition, people in developing countries are already facing food shortages. Developed countries are also under threat, the UN added.

"Climate change is accelerating the melting of glaciers <...> and leading to more extreme precipitation and natural disasters," the report says.

According to experts, in order to avoid a large-scale crisis that will affect billions of people, it is urgently necessary to address the integrated management of river basins, their financing and knowledge building to meet global demand for water.

The UN meteorological body, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), reported on March 18 that record levels of high temperatures in 2024 accelerated the melting of glaciers and sea ice and led to sea level rise and the world approaching a key warming threshold.

It clarifies that other factors could have influenced the global temperature increase last year, including changes in the solar cycle, a powerful volcanic eruption and a decrease in the amount of cooling aerosols.