A recent UNESCO study on protected glaciers around the world highlights the particularly severe impact of climate change on the Arctic region, where glacier and ice cap melting is generally faster than in the Antarctic, reports Statista.

With estimated net losses of several hundred billion tonnes of ice since 2000, the areas most affected by melting were the Kluane, Wrangell-Saint Elias, Glacier Bay, and Tatshenshini-Alsek parks in Alaska and Canada, the Ilulissat ice fjord in Greenland and the Vatnajokull icecap in Iceland. The largest glacier in the Alps, located in the Jungfrau-Aletsch region of Switzerland, is the ninth most impacted site on the list, with a net loss of 7 billion tonnes of ice over 20 years.

Glaciers are crucial resources on Earth as they fulfil the vital water needs of half of humanity for domestic use, agriculture, and hydroelectric power. Additionally, they often hold cultural and touristic significance for local communities. Over 18,000 glaciers have been identified in the 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites included in the study. These glaciers cover an area of approximately 66,000 km², amounting to nearly 10% of the Earth's glacial surface. Satellite analyses show that these glaciers have been retreating at an accelerated pace since 2000. This global retreat is one of the most tangible pieces of evidence of climate change.

Glaciers designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites are currently losing an average of around 58 billion tonnes of ice annually, equivalent to the total annual water consumption of France and Spain combined, contributing to nearly 5% of the rise in sea levels. According to UNESCO, projections indicate that glaciers in one-third of the designated glacier sites will disappear by 2050, regardless of which climate scenario is applied.