The One Polar Summit, currently taking place in Paris, highlights the urgency of protecting our planet’s ice and poles from the devastating effects of global warming. Among the most affected areas, African glaciers are at the forefront.
We tend to forget that the African continent is still home to around thirty glaciers, spread across Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Tanzania, notably on Kilimanjaro.
These glaciers are considered tropical glaciers, a fragile and rare species, of which there are approximately 3,000 glaciers worldwide, mainly along the Equator. African glaciers are the remnants of the last ice age, which ended more than 11,500 years ago.
Unfortunately, according to the WMO (World Meteorological Organization), these glaciers are doomed due to global warming. In the next twenty years, they will all have melted, with some Mount Kenya glaciers even disappearing within ten years.
The main reason for the melting of these glaciers is deforestation. The glaciers of Kilimanjaro, for example, are suffering the consequences of the massive deforestation that surrounds them. The reduction in vegetation dries out the mountain, leading to reduced precipitation on the glaciers.
Faced with this alarming situation, the “One Planet – Polar Summit” calls for rapid action. The French president, accompanied by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, will close the summit by launching a “Paris appeal on the poles and glaciers”. It is urgent to take measures to prevent the collapse of icy surfaces across the world, a phenomenon whose consequences will be major in terms of rising sea levels and access to drinking water.
It is necessary to raise public awareness of the imminent disappearance of these African glaciers, symbols of the dramatic changes our planet is undergoing. Their melting will have repercussions not only on local ecosystems, but also on the populations who depend on these water resources.
It is time to act and take concrete steps to slow global warming and protect these unique natural treasures. Everyone can contribute in their own way by adopting responsible behavior and supporting initiatives to preserve our environment. There is still time to reverse the trend and save these African glaciers, symbols of the fragile beauty of our planet.