Half of World Heritage glaciers may disappear by 2100: Study

Glaciers from almost half of natural World Herit sites -- such as Khumbu Glacier in Himalayas -- may disappear completely by 2100, if emissions continue at current rate, a study warns.

research is first-ever global study of World Herit glaciers -- home to some of world's most iconic glaciers, such as Grosser Aletschgletscher in Swiss Alps, and Greenland's Jakobshavn Isbrae, scientists said.

team from International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) combines data from a global glacier inventory, a review of existing literature and sophisticated computer modelling to analyse current state of World Herit glaciers, ir recent evolution, and ir projected mass change over 21st century.

study, published in journal Earth's Future, predicts glacier extinction by 2100 under a high emission scenario in 21 of 46 natural World Herit sites where glaciers are currently found. 

Even under a low emission scenario, eight of 46 World Herit sites will be ice-free by 2100. study also expects that 33 per cent to 60 per cent of total ice volume present in 2017 will be lost by 2100, depending on emission scenario.

"Losing se iconic glaciers would be a trdy and have major consequences for availability of water resources, sea level rise and wear patterns," said Peter Shie, Director of International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Herit Programme. 

"This unprecedented decline could also jeopardize listing of sites in question on World Herit list. States must reinforce ir commitments to combat climate change and step up efforts to preserve se glaciers for future generations," Shie said in a statement.

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Several iconic landscapes found in World Herit sites will be impacted by rising temperatures.

Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina contains some of largest glaciers on Earth and a very large ice loss -- about 60 per cent of current volume -- is predicted by 2100 within this site.

In rth America, Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, Canian Rocky Mountain Parks and Olympic National Park could also lose more than 70 per cent of ir current glacier ice by 2100, even under drastically lowered carbon dioxide emissions.

In Europe, disappearance of small glaciers is projected in Pyrenees -- Mont Perdu World Herit site before 2040.

Te Wahipounamu -- South West New Zealand, which contains three quarters of New Zealand's glaciers, is projected to lose 25 per cent to 80 per cent of current ice volume over course of this century.

Beyond se alarming results, researchers emphasise key role that glaciers play for ecosystems and societies at a global scale. 

Glacier conservation could thus serve as a trigger to tackle unprecedented issue of climate change.

"To preserve se iconic glaciers found in World Herit sites, we urgently need to see significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions," said Jean-Baptiste Bosson, scientific visor for IUCN's World Herit programme.

"This is only way of avoiding long-lasting and irreversible glacier decline and related major natural, social, ecomic and migratory cascing consequences," said Bosson. 

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