Melting glaciers: the tip of the iceberg in the global water crisis

FROM the towering snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the rugged expanse of the Tianshan Mountains, glaciers melted at an unprecedented rate across Asia in 2024, the hottest year on record.

If glacier retreat continues at this alarming speed, experts predict that at least half of the world’s glaciers will be completely lost by 2100 – and the consequences of this will be dire.

Already resulting in water shortages and destructive floods or typhoons in neighbouring regions, accelerated glacier melt will in the long run be a culprit of immense global water stress due to its far-reaching consequences on the Earth’s water cycle and supply.