thegreencall 
Meltwater gushes from an ice cap on the island of Nordaustlandet, in Norway's Svalbard archipelago — a stark visual reminder of accelerating glacier loss worldwide. Photo by Paul Nicklen, © National Geographic Image Collection. Used with gratitude.
A groundbreaking study has revealed a deeply concerning truth: nearly 40% of the world’s glaciers have already vanished, and the primary culprit is the continued burning of fossil fuels. These emissions have significantly accelerated global warming, causing widespread and, in many cases, irreversible glacier loss.
According to a study published in Nature, glaciers across nearly all regions of the planet are shrinking at unprecedented rates. The research estimates that even if the world were to halt global warming immediately, glaciers would still lose 39% of their total volume compared to 2020 levels by the end of this century.
🔗 Zemp et al., Nature, 2023 – Global Glacier Mass Loss
Another study, published in Science Advances, further confirms these projections, using high-resolution models to show that nearly half of all glaciers are doomed to disappear under current warming trends. These findings stress the urgent need for bold climate action.
🔗 Huss et al., Science Advances, 2023 – Glacier Volume Loss Projections
Glaciers are more than majestic natural wonders — they are essential water sources for over two billion people, especially across Asia and South America. As they melt, not only is freshwater availability threatened, but sea levels rise, increasing the risk of flooding in coastal regions.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has long warned of these dangers. Their Sixth Assessment Report (2021) directly links anthropogenic (human-driven) greenhouse gas emissions to rising temperatures and accelerated glacier retreat.
🔗 IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (2021) – Climate Change: The Physical Science Basis
“There is no scenario in which we retain the world’s glaciers without urgently ending fossil fuel use,” said Dr. Regine Hock, a leading glaciologist and co-author of multiple studies on glacier dynamics.
The Road Ahead: A Call for Urgent Climate Action
This latest body of research reinforces what scientists have been warning for decades. Without immediate and radical shifts to renewable energy and dramatic reductions in emissions, the natural systems that sustain life on Earth will continue to collapse.
The Green Call urges policymakers, environmental advocates, and citizens across South and Southeast Asia — and the world — to treat these findings as a final wake-up call. The time to act is not tomorrow, but now.
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