UNIS/OUS/446
21 March 2025
VIENNA, 22 March (UN Information Service) – The retreat of glaciers in the Upper Danube River Basin is one of the most alarming consequences of climate change, says the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) as it joins the global community in commemorating World Water Day 2025. This year's theme, "Save Our Glaciers," highlights the critical importance of glaciers and the urgent need to address their rapid decline due to climate change. As the climate continues to warm, glaciers worldwide, including those that feed into the Danube River, are melting at unprecedented rates.
These changes threaten water availability, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of millions who rely on the Danube and its tributaries. The ICPDR stands in solidarity with efforts to respond to climate change impacts, protect freshwater resources, and ensure a sustainable future for the Danube River Basin.
The retreat of glaciers in the Upper Danube River Basin is concerning as these glaciers serve as critical water sources, regulating river flow and ensuring water availability throughout the basin. As they shrink, the Upper and Middle Danube Basins are seeing a severe reduction of these vital water reserves, leading to reduced water discharges and availability. This trend threatens water supplies, agricultural production, and hydropower energy production while also endangering the ecological balance of the river system.
The Danube River is intricately linked to the health of its glaciers. The ICPDR’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Drought Overview Report for the Danube Basin highlight that shifting precipitation patterns and rising temperatures are exacerbating droughts and altering seasonal runoff patterns. Projections indicate that while winter runoff may increase due to earlier snow and ice melt, summer runoff, which is critical for agriculture and ecosystems, will decline, intensifying water scarcity in the basin.
The ICPDR is committed to implementing strategies that mitigate the impacts of climate change on water resources. Discussions to enhance measures to manage droughts on the basin-wide level are taking place addressing topics of drought monitoring, strengthening related transboundary cooperation, and promoting sustainable water management. The ICPDR aims to increase resilience across the Danube River Basin. The organization’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and the Drought Overview Report lays out key measures and activities to address these challenges, emphasizing nature-based solutions, improved forecasting, and adaptive water use policies.
"The rapid retreat of our glaciers is an urgent call for immediate and unified action," says ICPDR Executive Secretary Birgit Vogel. "As keepers of the Danube, we must intensify our efforts to combat climate change, protect our water resources, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come."
This World Water Day, the ICPDR encourages governments, industries, communities, and individuals to recognize the urgency of the situation and take proactive steps to promote sustainable water use and support initiatives that protect glaciers. For more information on the ICPDR's work and the Danube River Basin, please visit www.icpdr.org.
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About the ICPDR:
The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) is a transnational body, which has been established to implement the Danube River Protection Convention to ensure sustainable and equitable water management, conservation of water resources, and protection of aquatic ecosystems in the Danube River.
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For information, please contact:
Hélène Masliah-Gilkarov
Technical Expert, Public Participation & Communication
ICPDR Secretariat at UNOV
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-4373
Mobile: (+43 676) 845 200 220
E-mail: helene.masliah-gilkarov[at]icpdr.org
Web: www.icpdr.org
The retreat of glaciers in the Upper Danube River Basin is one of the most alarming consequences of climate change, says the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) as it joins the global community in commemorating World Water Day 2025.
"The theme of this year's World Meteorological Day – Closing the Early Warning Gap Together – reminds us that, in this new climate reality, early warning systems are not luxuries." — António Guterres
"As the world renews itself this spring, let us remember that every new year, and every day, is a chance for a new start; a chance to do things differently; an opportunity to build a better world." — António Guterres
"Earth hour is about solidarity, hope, and the power of collective action. Every year, millions of people turn off the lights to illuminate the need for climate action. Today I ask that you are one of them." — António Guterres
