World Water Day will be celebrated on 22nd March, and this year, the United Nations has chosen ‘Glacier Conservation’ as the central theme — a critical and increasingly urgent issue linked to the ongoing effects of climate change.

We spoke with glaciologist Renato R. Colucci, contract lecturer in glaciology at the University of Trieste and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Polar Sciences of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), for his expert insights.

‘At this time of year, Alpine glaciers are still in their accumulation phase. Until the end of April, and well into May, they will continue to accumulate snow,’ explains Colucci. ‘Winter snow is a valuable resource which – provided summer 2025 does not bring prolonged periods of extreme heat but rather milder, more typical conditions – could be transformed into ‘reserve ice’ to be redistributed to the glacier’s lower sections in the coming years.’

‘However, March is also a key month for monitoring conditions in polar regions, especially in terms of sea ice extent. In Antarctica, early March marks the end of summer, and every year this is when the sea ice reaches its minimum extent. In contrast, mid-March marks the Arctic’s exit from winter, with the sea ice reaching its maximum extent.’

‘According to recent data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), Antarctica has now recorded the second-lowest sea ice minimum ever measured by satellite (dating back to the 1970s), with an extent of just 1.98 million square kilometres. This marks the fourth consecutive year below 2 million square kilometres, compared to an average of 2.4 million.’

‘The data from the Arctic is even more concerning,’ Colucci continues. ‘This year, the Arctic recorded the lowest sea ice maximum extent ever observed since satellite monitoring began, with just over 14 million square kilometres, compared to an average of almost 16 million.’