Some iconic World Heritage glaciers will disappear by 2050

A new study by UNESCO, in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), shows these glaciers have been retreating at an accelerated rate since 2000 due to CO2 emissions, which are causing a rise in temperatures. They are currently losing 58 billion tons of ice every year – equivalent to the combined annual water use of France and Spain– and are responsible for nearly 5 per cent of observed global sea-level rise.

The report concludes that glaciers in a third of the 50 World Heritage sites are condemned to disappear by 2050, regardless of efforts to limit temperature increases. But it is still possible to save the glaciers in the remaining two thirds of sites if the rise in temperatures does not exceed 1.5°C compared to the pre-industrial period.

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