Advancing climate science for glacier preservation

As the world unites to mark World Water Day 2025, on 22 March 2025, under the theme of Glacier Preservation, the urgency to protect our planet’s frozen water reserves has never been greater. Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, disrupting the water cycle and threatening billions of people who depend on predictable meltwater flows for drinking water, agriculture, industry, and clean energy production.

CryoSCOPE, a newly launched EU-funded research initiative, is stepping up to tackle these challenges head-on by improving climate predictions and water resource management in six cold regions across Europe and India.

Glacial retreat is one of the most visible consequences of climate change, leading to devastating floods, droughts, landslides, and rising sea levels. The loss of ice and snow cover is also altering local ecosystems and exacerbating the effects of climate feedback loops. CryoSCOPE, officially launched on 1 February 2025, aims to provide vital insights into these changes by integrating satellite and ground-based observations to refine climate models and improve water resource predictions. Over the next four years, the project will generate crucial data to help policymakers, communities, and industries adapt to shrinking glaciers and mitigate the associated risks.

"As glaciers retreat at alarming rates, our ability to predict and manage water resources in these cold regions becomes critical. With CryoSCOPE, we are leveraging cutting-edge science to bridge knowledge gaps in snow, ice, and permafrost dynamics, ultimately enhancing the accuracy of climate models and informing effective adaptation strategies", says Rakesh Hooda, Project Coordinator of CryoSCOPE and Senior Research Scientist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

CryoSCOPE will investigate six key cold regions—Svalbard, Norway, Iceland, Finnish Lapland, the Swiss Alps, and the Indian Himalayas—where glacial melt is already disrupting ecosystems and human activities. In these areas:

• Melting glaciers are increasing the risk of extreme events such as glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

• Changes in snow cover, including earlier melt and increased winter rainfall, are reducing summer water availability, affecting agriculture and carbon sequestration.

• Thawing permafrost is releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, further accelerating global warming.

By addressing these critical issues, CryoSCOPE will support environmental research and strengthen climate resilience in some of the world’s most vulnerable frozen landscapes. The project’s findings will guide policymakers and communities in developing evidence-based adaptation strategies, strengthening resilience against climate-driven water and energy challenges.

"CryoSCOPE aims to improve our understanding of the interactions between atmospheric, cryospheric, and hydrologic systems in some of the world’s most important cold regions. By integrating novel field measurements with satellite data and advanced numerical models, CryoSCOPE will refine the representation of local processes in global Earth System Models, providing scientists with improved data for climate research and supporting policymakers in making informed decisions on adaptation and mitigation”, says Harsh Beria, Scientific Coordinator of CryoSCOPE and Research Scientist at ETH Zürich and WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF.

As World Water Day 2025 calls for urgent action on Glacier Preservation, CryoSCOPE stands as a key initiative driving scientific research and policy solutions to safeguard our frozen water resources. By leveraging cutting-edge research and international collaboration, the project will provide valuable insights and practical solutions to mitigate climate-related risks, ensuring a more sustainable future for affected communities.

Further information:

Senior Scientist Rakesh Hooda, Finnish Meteorological Institute, tel. +358 50 401 4544, rakesh.hooda@fmi.fi