Climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide. Their retreat not only leads to water shortages in many regions, but also a rise in sea levels.
“Glaciers are an indispensable part of our global ecosystem. Their rapid loss is an alarming sign of the climate crisis. If we lose them, we will not only lose valuable water reservoirs, but also an important temperature regulator for the Earth,” stresses Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency (UBA). “We must act now to reduce emissions worldwide in order to preserve our glaciers for future generations.”
Dramatic retreat of Alpine glaciers
The melting of the Alpine glaciers shows the consequences of climate change particularly clearly. The losses are already considerable in the Bavarian Alpine glaciers; the rather small Northern Schneeferner glacier on the Zugspitze mountain is melting by almost one million litres of water every day. While in many regions the melting of glaciers is leading to water shortages and natural hazards such as landslides or overflowing glacial lakes, Bavaria is facing the complete loss of its glaciers. In order to meet these challenges, cross-border measures are essential. In Germany, the UBA, among others, is committed to the preservation of Alpine glaciers within the framework of the Alpine Convention, the agreement for the protection of the Alps.
Glacier retreat in the Antarctic
It is not only the glaciers in Germany that are affected. Of particular concern is the state of the polar ice caps, whose progressive melting is raising sea levels and thus threatening coastal regions worldwide.
In a study conducted by the Friedrich Schiller University Jena on behalf of the UBA, a research team is analysing the changes in a local glacier that is part of the extensive Collins Glacier on Antarctica's King George Island. The analysis of the glacier areas in the south-western part of the island shows a drastic retreat of the glacier fronts from 1956 to 2023. During this time, the glacier front retreated by around 375 metres – this corresponds to an average retreat of 5.6 metres per year.
From glacier to gravel-dominated lowland stream – water body type of the year 2025
Glaciers have shaped our landscapes over thousands of years. Many rivers and streams were created after the last ice age by the melting of the ice masses that previously covered large parts of the country. The meltwater from the former ice age glaciers deposited large quantities of gravel and sand, which today form the bedrock of many watercourses. The gravel-lined lowland stream is particularly representative of these geological processes. Its wide, shallow stream bed with permeable subsoil is characteristic of regions that were shaped by glacial deposits. To mark World Water Day on 22 March, the UBA is putting this type of watercourse in the spotlight: The gravel-lined lowland stream has been named “Waterbody Type of the Year 2025”
These narrow streams – often no wider than five metres – can be found in the glacially formed regions of northern Germany. Examples include the Ucker in Brandenburg and the Nebel in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Organisms that are optimally adapted to a low temperature range can still be found in these streams. However, climate change is also affecting them, and rising temperatures could displace these specialised species. In addition, increasing summer heat is causing smaller streams to dry out more frequently – an existential threat to the entire ecosystem , wildlife and local climate regulation. Already, 85 per cent of these watercourses are considered “unnatural”. Barrages and weirs block the migration routes of fish and encourage the accumulation of nutrients. The straightening and stabilisation of banks destroys habitats, while agricultural inputs pollute the water quality. In order to protect sensitive water bodies, targeted measures are needed: the dismantling of weirs, the installation of fish ladders, the abandonment of bank stabilisation and a reduction in nutrient inputs from agriculture. These interventions not only help to return the streams to a near-natural state – they also make them more resistant to the consequences of climate change. The protection of gravelly lowland streams is an investment in the future. After all, they are not only silent witnesses of the Ice Age – they are also indispensable lifelines.
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