International Mountain Day 2025 Highlights Glaciers' Crucial Role in Global Ecosystems

Key facts

• International Mountain Day 2025 spotlights the crucial role of glaciers in sustaining water, food, and livelihoods, urging global action to protect fragile mountain ecosystems.
• The theme for International Mountain Day 2025 is “Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond.”
• Mountains are home to diverse ecosystems and communities, providing essential resources like water, food, and livelihoods.
• The United Nations (UN) announced that International Mountain Day will focus on glaciers, which are massive ice reserves vital for freshwater and ecosystems.
• According to the UN, glaciers store around 70% of the world’s freshwater.
• Glaciers support rivers, agriculture, and clean energy.
• Accelerated global warming conditions pose a threat towards glaciers, causing them to melt at a fast pace and increasing the risk of floods and landslides.
• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) coordinates the annual celebration of International Mountain Day to foster greater awareness of mountain issues.
• Globally, over two billion people rely on melt from glaciers and snow for their freshwater, including for their food security and livelihood.
• Protecting mountains and glaciers from the impacts of climate change involves supporting measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, regulating use of mountain resources for commercial purposes, and investing in integrated water management systems.