Tajikistan is hosting the International Conference on Glacier Preservation from May 29 to June 1, 2025, in Dushanbe, aiming to highlight the urgent need to halt glacial retreat and elevate the issue on the global climate agenda.
The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation to highlight the importance of glaciers.
The Dushanbe International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation is organized by the government of Tajikistan with the support of the United Nations and other partners - the Asian Development Bank, UNESCO, UN Development Programme and World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The conference will culminate in the release of the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration—a landmark document outlining actionable commitments, collaborative initiatives, and strategic recommendations to be presented at the UN Climate Change conference, COP30 in Brazil.
Key topics of discussion will include glacier preservation, water cooperation, the role of cryosphere monitoring in water allocation, sea-level rise, and transboundary collaboration. Other sessions will explore scientific monitoring, the socio-economic impact of glacier melt, and strategies to catalyze action through global frameworks and partnerships.
Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda said: "This conference represents a significant step in implementing the United Nations resolution declaring 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation. Glaciers, which account for 75% of the world's freshwater resources, are vanishing due to climate change. Urgent and collective global action is essential to confront this crisis."
In Tajikistan alone, more than 1,000 glaciers have completely disappeared over the past few decades. One of the most serious consequences of this melting is the formation and expansion of glacial lakes, which significantly increase the risk of catastrophic flooding. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have already caused loss of life and widespread infrastructure damage in mountain regions such as the Andes, Himalayas, and Alps, highlighting the global urgency of addressing glacier retreat.
“The WMO State of the Global Climate 2024 report revealed that for the third consecutive year, glaciers retreated in all 19 regions. Five of the past six years have witnessed the most rapid glacier retreat on record,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“The death of a glacier is more than just the loss of ice. We need to strengthen glacier monitoring and protection through models and observations. We need more data sharing and more political will. We need to bridge science and services and forecasts and action,” she said.
The conference participants will endeavor to identify practical steps to advance scientific research and expand access to data while addressing gaps to improve hydro-meteorological and climate services, optimizing cryosphere earth observations as well as establish roadmaps for climate risks and early warning systems specific to mountainous regions.
In addition, the conference will explore concrete measures toward establishing a United Nations Trust Fund to support global glacier preservation efforts by the end of this year.
Establishment of a UN Trust Fund in support of activities for glaciers’ preservation was discussed during the meeting between Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon and ADB Vice-President Yingming Yang held in Dushanbe on May 28. The talks reportedly focused on expanding the partnership between Tajikistan and the ADB, with particular attention to new areas of cooperation amid climate change challenges.
“Melting glaciers threaten lives on an unprecedented scale – including the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people in Asia, alone,” said Asian Development Bank Vice-President Yingming Yang. “As a trusted partner, ADB is committed to helping Asia and the Pacific tackle this most complex of challenges: with adaptation investments and an enduring commitment to continue helping our region swap fossil fuels for clean energy in a way that does not compromise energy access or economic development.”
The chief executive of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has called for more urgent research into the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligenc...
Divers have recovered the bodies of seven Chinese tourists and a Russian driver after their minibus broke through the ice of Lake Baikal in Russia, au...
Iran announced on Saturday that it has designated the naval and air forces of European Union member states as “terrorist entities” in a reciprocal...
A technical fault in the helium system of NASA’s next-generation moon rocket was announced on Saturday, ruling out the planned March launch window f...
President Donald Trump said on Saturday (21 February) that he will raise temporary tariffs on nearly all U.S. imports from 10% to 15%, the maximum all...
A new freight corridor linking China with Tajikistan via Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan has entered pilot operation, marking another step in Central Asia’s expanding transport connectivity.
Tajikistan has announced an unprecedented rise in dust storms. Over the past 12 months, meteorologists recorded 63 such weather events, lasting a total of 216 days, or almost 60 per cent of the year.
Trade turnover between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan reached $33.4m in 2025, almost three times higher than the previous year, according to data from Tajikistan’s Customs Service.
Historic border agreements in 2025 brought renewed hopes of stability to the Fergana Valley, easing long-running tensions between Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Quentin Griffiths, co-founder of online fashion retailer ASOS, has died in Pattaya, Thailand, after falling from the 17th floor of a condominium on 9 February, Thai police confirmed.
Cubans are increasingly turning to solar power to keep businesses operating and basic household appliances running during prolonged electricity cuts, as fuel shortages make diesel generators and other temporary solutions more difficult and costly to maintain.
Ukraine’s National Paralympic Committee has announced it will boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympics in Verona on 6 March, citing the International Paralympic Committee’s decision to allow some Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under their national flags.
Eric Dane, the actor best known for his roles in 'Grey’s Anatomy' and 'Euphoria', died on Thursday, at the age of 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). His family confirmed his death after what they described as a “courageous battle” with ALS.
An Austrian climber has been convicted of gross negligent manslaughter after his girlfriend died from hypothermia while climbing Austria’s highest peak, the Grossglockner, in January 2025.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday (12 February) announced the repeal of a scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, and eliminated federal tailpipe emissions standards for cars and trucks.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani has killed at least 31 people and left four others missing after tearing through eastern Madagascar, the government said on Wednesday, with the island nation’s second-largest city bearing the brunt of the destruction.
Rivers and reservoirs across Spain and Portugal were on the verge of overflowing on Wednesday as a new weather front pounded the Iberian peninsula, compounding damage from last week's Storm Kristin.
Morocco has evacuated more than 100,000 people from four provinces after heavy rainfall triggered flash floods across several northern regions, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Greenland registered its warmest January on record, sharpening concerns over how fast-rising Arctic temperatures are reshaping core parts of the island’s economy.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment