The Shrinking Glaciers Project

The Lyskamm is a mountain in the Pennine Alps (Valais Alps), east of the Matterhorn and west of the Monte Rosa Group, on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The Lyskamm is a huge massif, consisting of a long ridge and two summits: the Eastern Lyskamm (4,527 m asl) and the lower Western Lyskamm (4,479 m asl). The Lyskamm ridgeline is notorious for large cornices, due to strong winds. Its north face drops over 1,000 m down to the Grenz Glacier (Grenzgletscher). The northern ice sheets feed into the Gorner Glacier through the Zwilling and Grenz Glaciers, while the Lys Glacier on the southern side stands out as a remarkable feature. Until recently, its tongue extended down to an altitude of 2,300 m asl at Alp Soalze, a surprising feat for a glacier flowing southward. 

The Gorner Glacier, the second largest glacier in the Alps, has been retreating since the end of the 19th century, more dramatically in recent years.

Glaciers naturally release stored water over time, providing a steady supply to rivers, lakes, and groundwater. However, the effects of climate change are interfering with these vital processes, as evidenced by the glaciers in the Valais Alps. Without action to reduce CO2 emissions, it is predicted that Switzerland’s glaciers will almost entirely vanish by the end of this century.

The International Year of Glaciers 2025, spearheaded by WMO and UNESCO at the WMO headquarters in Geneva, officially commenced on January 21.

During the conference, the Advisory Board introduced four Task Forces:

1. TF-1: Global Campaign for the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025
2. TF-2: International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, Regional Workshops, and Capacity Building
3. TF-3: Research and Monitoring Initiatives
4. TF-4: Policy Advocacy, Partnerships, and Resource Mobilization

Key issues highlighted included the dwindling of water reservoirs globally, impacts on ecosystems and agriculture, challenges of melting permafrost, and rising sea levels.

Participants concurred that we must recognize the absence of a flexible timetable for glacial melt in the future. Enhanced and expanded monitoring, coupled with more scientific research, is imperative. Glaciers are one of our most vital resources.

A memorable quote from the launch, echoed multiple times, was: “Glaciers don’t believe in science; they just melt.” (Professor John Pomeroy, University of Saskatchewan, Canada)

To emphasize the urgency of immediate action, here are some key facts about the Himalayan region, which boasts the third largest glacier deposits after the North and South Poles. Scientists refer to it as the “Third Pole.” This region is home to 46,000 glaciers and vast areas of permafrost, stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal has conducted the most comprehensive and accurate assessment of the impending effects of glacier melt in the high mountains of Asia. ICIMOD warns that the threats are becoming increasingly complex and devastating. If no action is taken, it is projected that 80% of the current glacier volume will melt by 2100. The already observable effects on local communities will worsen significantly, including landslides, floods, and crop losses, leading to poverty and damage to cultural heritage and infrastructure.

We must act now:  https://www.un-glaciers.org/en/get-involved

The Hochfeiler (Gran Pilastro, 3,509 m asl) is the highest peak in the Zillertaler Alps, a mountain range in the Eastern Alps. Its summit lies precisely on the main ridge of this range, marking the border between the Austrian province of Tyrol and the Italian province of South Tyrol.

The Gliederferner glacier (Ghiacciaio del Gran Pilastro) flows southward from the Hochfeiler. Until the turn of the millennium, it was a robust ice stream with thick, white ice. However, between 1998 and 2024, it melted significantly and retreated, leaving the glacier only a few meters thick.

The glacier forefield is now characterized by extensive debris deposits, with old moraine and glacier levels still visible on either side. These remnants may date back to the glacial maximum around 1850 during the Little Ice Age.

The Gliederferner thus joins the ranks of South Tyrolean glaciers facing a bleak future. Scientific data confirms this trend: between 1983 and 1997, the area of South Tyrol’s glaciers shrank by 19.7% due to global warming, and by a further 11.9% between 1997 and 2006.

Consequently, the glaciers have retreated by several hundred meters to several kilometers.

In recent years, water consumption has increased in both the tourism industry and agriculture, while water supply, especially in summer, has decreased. Additionally, there have been changes in flora and fauna as vegetation periods have shifted.