Mexico at Risk as Glaciers Rapidly Disappear, UNESCO Specialist Cautions

Laura Veronica Imbrogia, a specialist with UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Programme, warned that glaciers and mountain water sources are facing a critical threat, stressing that Mexico is not exempt from this danger. 

Her remarks were made during the presentation of the 2025 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report, held as part of the 37th annual ANEAS 2025 conference in the city of León, Guanajuato.

Imbrogia explained that data shows Mexico’s highest mountains have lost around 80% of their ice cover since the 1960s. 

She described this decline as extremely worrying due to its direct impact on water supplies and the stability of ecosystems.

She added that mountains and glaciers are the world’s water towers, supporting the lives of one billion people living downstream of river basins.

She noted that the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean, where mountains produce the largest amount of water per unit area compared to any other region, has become particularly dangerous. 

Many glaciers have already disappeared or are on the verge of vanishing, threatening the production of high-value crops such as coffee and cocoa, in addition to affecting hydroelectric power generation.

Globally, these ecosystems store about 60% of the world’s frozen freshwater and supply drinking water, irrigation water, and energy to vast regions.

Imbrogia urged countries to take responsibility for protecting their mountain resources and glaciers before they disappear entirely. 

She recalled that the United Nations declared 2025 the International Year of Glacier Preservation and reaffirmed an earlier 2022 resolution calling for enhanced sustainability in mountain regions.

The specialist also pointed out that 57% of the world’s mountain areas are experiencing severe pressure and environmental degradation, especially in lower-altitude regions where human activity is concentrated. Forests, which cover 40% of mountain areas, are losing their natural ability to protect watersheds.

On a global scale, she warned that water consumption is projected to increase by 1% annually over the next 30 years. This growth, combined with climate change, will worsen water scarcity even in regions that have historically been humid, such as Central Africa and parts of South America.

She added that these fragile ecosystems suffer from complex conditions that make monitoring water quality difficult, which may lead to irreversible pollution.