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ISLAMABAD, May 30 (APP): First Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization (UNO), Amina Mohammed on Friday said that loss of glaciers threatens water and food security, loss of biodiversity, infrastructure, and the stability and health of communities around the world.
Millions of people depend on glaciers as a source of drinking water, irrigation, means of existence, and energy production, First Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed said this while addressing to the ‘First International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation’ jointly organized by the government of Tajikistan and United Nation Organization (UNO) in Dushanbe (Tajikistan).
Amina Mohammed said that this conference is held at a crucial moment with an impressive call to turn commitments into action and shape the trajectory of our planet’s development, economy and well-being of future generations.
Glacier’s preservation is crucial for humanity and sustainable development and however, those who are on the front line, the loss of glaciers in the first place, in developing regions face the greatest injustice – this is the reduction of water resources, she said.
First Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations said that vulnerable communities with worsening poverty, forced migration, and difficult life conditions at the same time, relying on glacial reserves that are quickly disappearing.
She said the loss of glaciers leads to the destruction of culture, history and identity and Societies associated with mountain landscapes are faced with the disappearance of original lands, traditional knowledge, and linguistic heritage, which leads to the severing of ties that have existed for generations.
It has been 10 years since the world adopted the Agenda for Sustainable Development for the period up to 2030 and the Paris Agreement, she said.
First Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations said that since 1975, more than 9 thousand glaciers have disappeared and 6 billion tons of ice for the last 6 years, the glaciers retreated at unprecedented rates.
She said that only in the period from 2022 to 2024, the largest three-year loss of glacier mass in the entire history of observation was observed in the world.
In acceleration of melting of ice at current rates, many glaciers may not survive in this century, she said.
She said that having changed landscapes, ecosystems and water security on a global scale – this is not just a mountain crisis, this is a slowly developing global catastrophe with far-reaching consequences for the planet and people.
However, tools for adaptation to risk reduction cannot be successful without sustainable, predictable financing to support increased resilience at all levels.
Amina Mohammed said that every dollar spent on resilience improves early warning systems, protects infrastructure and protects livelihoods from extreme climate events and this strengthens food and water security and strengthens ecosystems from future shocks.
She said that significantly increased financing and investments, integrated reduction of risks in the main political decisions.
Meanwhile in her concluding remarks, she said that entering the decade of glacier conservation, I want to convey that let us ensure that this conference becomes an urgent call to action, providing multilateral cooperation and strategic partnership.
These partnerships should become an effective force for the development and implementation of ambitious overall economic and socially defined contributions, not only as climate commitments, but also as an investment road map that contributes to the implementation of the SDGs, she said.