Glaciers are the most emblematic ambassadors for the signs of the ongoing climate crisis. Frequently spread pictures of time series with a gap of some decades as comparison are extremely touchy by revealing the fast change of landscapes. The World Day for Glaciers with March 21 st is a day where scientists spread the word about the relevance of glaciers and pitch numbers about the vast extent of losses worldwide. And those numbers are hard to digest: In 2023, glaciers worldwide lost an estimated volume equivalent of 5 times the volume of water of the Dead Sea. But it is not just water we are losing. Glaciers are vital for climate, water cycles, nutrient fluxes, biodiversity, but also for human societies. They provide freshwater resources and also food security for billions of people on a global scale. Additionally, they harbour a unique and rich biodiversity consisting of mainly microbes – many of which have evolved extraordinary adaptations to survive in subzero conditions. Among them are organisms producing enzymes and bioactive molecules with potential medical applications.

As glaciers disappear, we are not just losing ice misbalancing our water and biogeochemical cycles—we are losing control mechanisms for the planet´s climate, life, ecosystems, and invaluable biological resources. In return, we have to face an increasing threat of natural hazards caused by glacier melt. And we lose biodiversity.

Left: Drilling ice cores on Antarctic glacier. (© Birgit Sattler), right: Ice wall near Lake Untersee, Antarctica. (© Birgit Sattler)

For the upcoming events, APRI provides a multifaceted insight into the importance of glaciers in the fields of climate research, ecology and social sciences. This interdisciplinary approach is one of the strengths of APRI – seemingly small in its consortium, however, strong in its disciplines. Hence, our contributions are manifold and spread across the country. APRI members have launched a number of press releases – to begin with a report about the new Austrian research station in Greenland, Sermilik. It is the only Austrian polar base (under the wing of the University of Graz) and we are looking forward to host numerous projects embracing many disciplines with international partners. Another press release talks about frequently measured glaciers such as Freya glacier in Greenland. A “Glacier Stewardship Program” is presented in collaboration with EPFL and ETH, Switzerland, where science wants to take action against glacial loss by (1) developing ecologically friendly material to slow ice loss on mountain glaciers on a small scale, (2) advancing early-warning systems against natural hazards deriving from unstable glaciers, and (3) implementing a biobank for the lost biodiversity. Various talks are given from east to west ranging from “What is left of the eternal ice – Status and future of worldwide glaciers” in Graz to “Ice matters” in Galtür or “Polar expeditions – research under extreme conditions” in Ansbach. Panels are attended dealing with “Data management and monitoring strategies” in Paris, which is clearly the epicentre of attention, as well as “Give an hour for water” as the launch of this year by the WWF in Pakistan. APRI is also involved in international documentaries, e.g., “Sur le Front” showcasing the fate of glaciers. And of course, we will extend this topic within our series “Polar Talk” which is hosted by the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna.