The theme for International Mountain Day 2025 is “Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond,” aligning with the UN’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, highlighting glaciers’ crucial role in water security, food, clean energy, and cultural identity, and the urgent need for their protection. International Mountain Day is an international observance day whose goal is to raise awareness about the role that mountainous regions play in the lives of people and their importance to our planet. Mountains are home to 15% of the world’s population and host nearly half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots.
As of 2003, International Mountain Day has been observed every year on 11 December to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, to highlight the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain peoples and environments around. As places of power and heavens on high, mountains serve as abodes of gods and goddesses, often situated at the center of the cosmos, world, or region. Temple or place of worship: Mountains often appear in the form of temples housing the deities who reside on or within them. Unlike traditional holidays with fixed customs, Mountain Day is more about personal and communal connection to nature. Mountains are more than just tall landforms; some are growing taller due to tectonic activity, while the world’s tallest is actually Mauna Kea, not Everest, when measured from its base underwater. They also play a critical role in providing freshwater for the planet, are home to diverse ecosystems, and can even be formed by volcanic eruptions.
Today, on International Mountain Day 2025, let’s shine a spotlight on the crucial role glaciers play in sustaining life on Earth. Glaciers are more than just frozen landscapes – they’re lifelines for ecosystems and communities, providing freshwater, food, and livelihoods for billions of people.
The rapid melting of glaciers poses a significant threat to our planet, impacting agriculture, clean energy, water security, and the lives of vulnerable mountain communities. Glaciers hold around 70% of the world’s freshwater, and their accelerated melting is a stark indicator of the climate crisis.
Rising global temperatures are driving glacier retreat, increasing risks like floods, landslides, and erosion, and endangering downstream populations and critical infrastructure. It’s time to take action and prioritize glacier preservation for the health of our planet and its inhabitants.
Economically, sectors like agriculture, hydropower, mountain tourism and transportation feel the strain of glacier changes. For many Indigenous Peoples, glaciers are sacred, and their disappearance signifies a loss of identity and connection to nature. Let us appreciate the beauty, importance, and vulnerability of mountains. Mountains cover about 27% of the Earth’s land area and are home to around 15% of the global population. Let’s work together to preserve the beauty and importance of mountains for future generations and continue to inspire action and awareness about the need to preserve and appreciate mountains worldwide.
The writer is a Freelance Journalist, Writer & Cartoonist
