Glaciers are at risk of vanishing entirely from almost fifty percent of World Heritage sites if current emission levels persist. This alarming revelation has been put forth by the foremost worldwide study on World Heritage glaciers, titled ‘Disappearing World Heritage glaciers as a keystone of nature conservation in a changing climate’.
The World Heritage Glacier Study
This comprehensive research was jointly conducted by scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The team developed the inaugural inventory of glaciers featured on the UNESCO World Heritage list, documenting nearly 19,000 glaciers found across 46 of the 247 natural World Heritage sites. These sites host some globally iconic glaciers like the Grosser Aletschgletscher in the Swiss Alps, Khumbu Glacier in the Himalayas, and Jakobshavn Isbrae in Greenland. According to IUCN’s World Heritage Outlook 2 Report, climate change is swiftly becoming the primary threat to these natural World Heritage sites, with twice the number of sites at risk between 2014 and 2017.
The Impact of Climate Change on World Heritage Sites
Natural World Heritage sites are globally acknowledged for their importance in providing life-supporting benefits to millions around the world. They are increasingly threatened by the adverse impacts of climate change. The authors predict that, under high CO2 emissions, 21 of the 46 natural World Heritage sites home to glaciers could see them vanish by 2100. Even under a low emission scenario, it is predicted that eight of these 46 sites will be completely ice-free by the end of this century. The study also presumes a loss of between 33% to 60% of the total ice volume recorded in 2017 by 2100, depending on emission scenarios.
Projected Declines in Glacial Mass
| Heritage Site | Projected Ice Loss by 2100 |
|---|---|
| Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina | About 60% of current volume |
| Pyrenees-Mont Perdu, Europe | Total extinction of small glaciers by 2040 |
| Te Wahipounamu South West New Zealand | 25% to 80% of current ice volume |
The Consequence of Glacial Retreat
Loss of glaciers will heavily impact the availability of water resources, sea-level rise, and weather patterns globally. The monumental decline can also risk the listing of these areas in the World Heritage list. Significant reductions need to be made in greenhouse gas emissions. This study highlights the urgency of both individual and collective actions to achieve the mitigation and adaptation goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The Role of UNESCO and IUCN
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) works towards identifying, safeguarding and preserving cultural and natural heritages worldwide that are deemed exceptionally valuable to humanity. Adopted in 1972, UNESCO maintains a World Heritage List under an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), formed in 1948 and now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, provides conservation outlook assessments for all natural World Heritage sites. Its Red List of Threatened Species serves as a comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.
