NEW DELHI, November 2: The growing impact of melting glaciers and ice sheets across the world should serve as a wake-up call for global leaders ahead of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), James Kirkham, Chief Scientist of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), has warned.
Speaking to PTI Videos on Monday, Kirkham said the effects of global warming are no longer limited to distant polar regions but are increasingly affecting communities worldwide through rising sea levels, floods, landslides, water shortages and extreme weather events.
Referring to a joint report by ICCI and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), titled ‘Overshoot and the Cryosphere’, he explained that temporarily crossing the 1.5-degree Celsius global warming threshold could have serious consequences for glaciers, ice sheets and other frozen parts of the Earth.
The report examines the impact of rising temperatures and the consequences of temporarily exceeding the global warming limit before temperatures potentially decline.
Kirkham warned that further temperature increases could intensify environmental damage and make some of the most severe consequences irreversible.
He highlighted the growing threat of rising sea levels, saying hundreds of millions of people could be affected in the coming decades. The accelerating loss of mountain glaciers is also increasing water insecurity and exposing communities to dangerous natural disasters.
Citing recent disasters in Nepal and Sikkim, he said rising temperatures are destabilising mountain regions as permafrost, which acts as a natural binding layer in high-altitude areas, begins to thaw. This increases the likelihood of landslides, avalanches, glacier-related disasters and devastating floods.
Kirkham also cautioned that shrinking glaciers could create serious long-term challenges for water security, agriculture, drinking water supplies, irrigation and electricity generation. Although melting glaciers may initially increase water availability, the supply eventually declines as glaciers continue to disappear.
He further pointed out that damage to hydropower infrastructure during glacier-related disasters could undermine efforts by countries to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Emphasising the need for stronger disaster preparedness, Kirkham called for expanding mountain monitoring networks and establishing effective early warning systems to protect vulnerable communities.
He stressed that local residents must be involved from the beginning in designing and operating these systems so they can recognise environmental changes, understand potential risks and contribute to timely warnings.
The ICCI scientist also underlined the importance of international cooperation and cross-border data sharing, noting that glacier-related disasters frequently affect multiple countries. He cited the Nepal disaster, which had consequences for China, Nepal and downstream areas of India.
According to Kirkham, governments must strengthen existing monitoring mechanisms and work collectively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, slow ice loss and build resilience against climate-related hazards.
With the COP31 climate conference scheduled to begin in Antalya in a week’s time, he urged world leaders to take stronger action, warning that delays in addressing climate change would increase environmental damage and economic costs.
He expressed hope that scientific evidence would guide international climate policies and called for greater political commitment and long-term leadership to tackle the escalating global cryosphere crisis.
