Glaciers are found on every continent except Australia. Most of these are thousands of years old. They are made of layers of compressed snow that move or “flow” due to gravity and the softness of ice relative to rock.
But now, a third of the glaciers on the UNESCO World Heritage list are under threat, according to a study conducted by the UN body. However, the study said, it was still possible to save the other two-thirds. This could be possible if the rise in global temperatures did not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era.
UNESCO said that this would be a major challenge facing delegates at the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference in in Egypt’s Sharm El Sheik. The UNESCO is also pushing for a new international fund for glacier monitoring and preservation.
Production and voiceover: Abhinaya Sriram
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