This year’s World Water Day, 22 March 2025, highlights the theme ‘Glacier Preservation’ and the International Water Association (IWA) is pleased to add its voice of support, connecting its work bringing together water professionals around the world to advance water security.

“With World Water Day 2025 focusing on glacier preservation, we need to recognise the impact that climate change is having on glaciers in this warming world and on the communities that depend on these vital stores of water,” comments IWA CEO Kala Vairavamoorthy.

An estimated 1.9 billion people rely on glaciers for drinking water and irrigating their crops. According to the World Meteorological Organization, in 2023, glaciers lost more than 600 gigatons of water – the largest mass loss registered in 50 years.

“The implications of failing to protect glaciers are therefore huge, and any loss intensifies the need to improve water management downstream if security is to be achieved,” continues Vairavamoorthy.

Water security encompasses a broad spectrum of issues, from disasters and diseases to conflicts over shared resources and governance challenges. Despite global commitments, prospects include that, by 2030, the demand for freshwater is projected to outstrip supply by 40%, raising the question of how to meet the needs of an estimated 1.6 billion people.

Climate change will further exacerbate the challenges ahead and glacier loss threatens impacts such as a decline in vital summer meltwater flows and a greater risk of flooding, including from glacial lake outburst floods.

“Water is a cornerstone of security. Every drop of water saved, every community provided with access to clean water, and every ecosystem restored, contributes to our collective security and resilience,” adds Vairavamoorthy. “At IWA, we bring together world-class experts to address such challenges and work to facilitate the knowledge exchange needed to benefit people and the environment.”

“So, on this World Water Day, we should support actions to preserve glaciers and use this urgent need as a spur to advance wider progress towards a future where water security is a reality for all,” he concludes.

Yesterday marked the first-ever International Day of Glaciers' Preservation, designated by the United Nations within the framework of the 2025 International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, an initiative co-facilitated by UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

UNESCO is now inviting the public to learn more about the importance of glaciers within UNESCO designated sites through an interactive exhibition. The digital tool allows visitors to virtually experience glaciers in World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves, and to gain insights into how these places are being used for glacier monitoring, climate mitigation and adaptation responses.