WORLD HERITAGE GLACIERS - ENVIRONMENT
News: A third of world heritage glaciers under threat, warns UNESCO study
What's in the news?
● A third of the glaciers on the UNESCO World Heritage list are under threat, regardless of efforts to limit temperature increases, a study conducted by the UN body has found.
Importance of glaciers:
● Half
of humanity depends directly or indirectly on glaciers as their water source
for domestic use, agriculture, and power. Glaciers are also pillars of
biodiversity, feeding many ecosystems.
● When glaciers melt rapidly, millions of people face water scarcity and the increased risk of natural disasters such as flooding, and millions more may be displaced by the resulting rise in sea levels.
Glaciers and World Heritage Sites:
● As
many as 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites
are home to glaciers, representing almost 10 per cent of the Earth's total
glacierized area.
● A
UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as of special physical/
natural significance.
● There
are 209 natural World Heritage sites and 8 mixed (both cultural and natural)
World Heritage sites.
● Currently,
there are 46 natural World Heritage sites where glaciers are found.
● Examples:
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, in Alberta, Canada; Olympic National
Park, in the state of Washington, USA; Los Glaciares National Park in
Argentina; Grosser Aletschgletscher in the Swiss Alps, Greenland’s Jakobshavn
Glacier and Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas.
● All
these glaciers are likely to be gravely impacted by carbon emissions and
climate change.
● The
UNESCO study, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), showed that these glaciers have been retreating at an
accelerated rate since 2000 due to CO2 emissions, which are warming
temperatures.
● They are currently losing 58 billion tonne of ice every year - equivalent to the combined annual water use of France and Spain and are responsible for nearly 5% of observed global sea level rise.
Key takeaways:
● The
study said that it was still possible to save the other two-thirds if the rise
in global temperatures did not exceed 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial era.
● The
UNESCO said this would be a major challenge for the delegates at the upcoming
COP27.
● The
2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held from November 6-18
this year in Egypt.
● COP27
will have a crucial role to help find solutions to this issue. The UNESCO is
determined to support states in pursuing this goal.
● In addition to
drastically reduced carbon emissions, the UNESCO is advocating for the creation
of a new international fund for glacier monitoring and preservation.
● Such
a fund would support comprehensive research, promote exchange networks between
all stakeholders and implement early warning and disaster risk reduction
measures.
● This
study highlights the urgent need to cut greenhouse gas emissions and invest in
nature-based solutions, which can help mitigate climate change and allow people
to better adapt to its impacts.