Millions could run out of water if glaciers continue to melt

High in the Andes Mountains, glaciers have fed life for centuries. Their frozen stores of water support millions of people across six countries – Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. These towering ice reserves aren’t just symbols of beauty and endurance. They’re critical lifelines.

But those lifelines are now unraveling. Global warming is melting these glaciers at an alarming pace. Scientists report that Andean glaciers are thinning by 0.7 meters each year – 35 percent faster than the global average.

Glacier retreat threatens to dry up rivers, weaken farming systems, limit drinking water, and destabilize power supplies.

At the heart of this crisis is the basic human need for water. In South America, more than 90 million people rely on glacier-fed sources for daily survival. This is not a distant problem for the next generation.

This is unfolding now. And it is doing so more rapidly than many expected.

Glacier loss threatens water supply

On March 21 2025, scientists from the University of Sheffield and Newcastle will issue a direct warning to global policymakers.

The occasion is the first-ever World Day for Glaciers, hosted by UNESCO in Paris. Their policy brief, titled The Future of the Andean Water Towers, outlines how the glaciers are vanishing and what that means for water and food security across the region.

The document draws on years of research and satellite observations. It presents the reality that some feared but hoped would not come so soon. The ice loss in the Tropical Andes could reach near-total collapse, while other parts of the mountain range may lose over half their glacier coverage if current trends continue.

“Our brief shows that what scientists have been predicting for years is now coming true, and swift action needs to be taken if we stand any hope of saving and preserving the glaciers that so many people rely on as a source of water,” noted Dr. Jeremy Ely, a researcher at the University of Sheffield.

A perfect storm of climatic pressures

The causes are complex but deeply connected to climate change. Rising air temperatures, more frequent droughts, decreased snowfall, and erratic weather patterns have combined to weaken the glaciers’ ability to regenerate.

Since the year 2000, the pace of ice loss has reached levels never seen before. This acceleration aligns with rising greenhouse gas emissions around the globe.

The Andes are especially vulnerable. Many of the glaciers exist at lower elevations compared to other mountain ranges. That makes them more sensitive to even modest temperature increases.

As warming continues, the glaciers no longer act as natural regulators of water flow. They melt too quickly in hot seasons and can’t replenish during colder months.

The results are clear: unstable water supplies, dry farming lands, energy shortages, and rising tensions over resources. These changes threaten to alter life for both rural communities and sprawling cities that rely on glacial meltwater downstream.

Rapid loss of glaciers and water

The Paris Agreement of 2015 brought a measure of hope. Countries agreed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Scientists warned that exceeding this target would cause serious harm, including extreme weather, lower crop yields, economic damage, and water scarcity.

However, that 1.5°C ceiling was already surpassed for several months in 2024. Projections now suggest that we are moving toward a world that will warm by more than 2°C. In that future, large swaths of the Andes could become completely ice-free before the century ends.

This raises troubling questions. How will countries adapt to rapid glacier loss? What happens to communities that have relied on consistent freshwater from melting snow and ice for generations? And how can international agreements hold weight when their benchmarks are already being missed?

Consequences of water loss

As glacier-fed rivers weaken, governments will need to act fast. One likely response is to build large-scale water storage systems, such as dams.

These structures can store water during rainy seasons and release it during dry periods. But such infrastructure requires huge investments. Many of the countries most affected may not have the resources to afford them.

Without alternatives, rural areas may face food shortages. Crops that rely on irrigation could fail. Livestock may suffer. Urban areas might experience water rationing, which can spark unrest. The loss of water also limits hydropower production, which fuels industries and homes throughout the continent.

“Such a loss of ice across the Andes needs urgent attention as it will increase the stress on freshwater resources relied upon by communities and major cities downstream of the glaciers,” said Dr. Ely.

A closing window for global cooperation

Global coordination is not just helpful – it’s essential. As glaciers shrink, so does the margin for error. Scientists agree that curbing carbon emissions is the only reliable way to slow the damage. No amount of policy writing will reverse the melting unless it’s backed by action.

The longer the world waits, the harder it will be to reverse or even manage the crisis. Temperature increases of up to 4.5°C by 2100 are not just theoretical – they’re becoming real possibilities. If that happens, water and food security will deteriorate for millions.

“All the targets that have been set have already been missed and failed,” Dr Ely said. “Yet the only way to preserve glaciers is to drastically reduce carbon emissions once and for all.

“The situation is serious, and it will take global cooperation to tackle climate change and make meaningful difference for the communities around the world most vulnerable from the effects of climate change.”

What happens next matters most

The Andean glacier crisis is a climate emergency in motion. It touches agriculture, energy, urban life, and rural survival. It is not a regional issue – it is a global one.

The science is clear, the warnings have been given, and the time for delay has passed.

Whether the glaciers remain or vanish now depends on how quickly and how boldly the world responds.

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