Why is it in the news?

• According to the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), Venezuela’s last remaining glacier in the Andes, Humboldt (or La Corona), has shrunk to a size that no longer qualifies it as a glacier.
• This marks Venezuela as the first nation potentially losing all its glaciers.

Glacier

A glacier is an accumulation of ice and snow that slowly flows over land.

Causes of Glacier Melting

• Increasing global temperatures contribute significantly to the rapid melting of glaciers.
• Elevated ocean temperatures accelerate ice melt from below.

Impacts of Glacier Melting

• Sea Level Rise: NASA estimates that if all glaciers and ice sheets melted, global sea levels would rise by over 60 meters, causing increased coastal erosion and elevated storm surges.
• Biodiversity Loss: Walruses are losing their habitats, and polar bears are spending more time on land, leading to more conflicts with humans.
• Disasters: There will be an increase in the frequency of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in regions like the Himalayas.
• Other Impacts: Reduced water availability in rivers such as the Ganges and negative effects on economic activities like fishing and navigation.

Steps Taken to Protect Glaciers:

Global Initiatives

• Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
• UNESCO: World Glacier Monitoring Services.
• International Year of Glacier Preservation: Declared for 2025 by the United Nations.

National Efforts in India

• National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem: Part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched in 2008.
• Research Station ‘Himansh’: Established in the Chandra basin, Himachal Pradesh, in 2016.