UNESCO Spotlights Cryosphere Ahead of COP31
The UN agency is urging integrated protection of glaciers, ice sheets and permafrost before the Antalya climate summit.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Environmental
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UNESCO has called attention to the cryosphere, which includes glaciers, ice sheets, snow, sea ice and permafrost, ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye. The agency is advocating integrated solutions that combine science, education, and Indigenous and local knowledge to protect these frozen systems.
Why it matters
The cryosphere holds nearly 70% of the world's freshwater, and it is melting rapidly. Its condition bears directly on water supply and ocean systems, which is the focus of this year's COP31 theme of water and ocean resilience.
UNESCO places the cryosphere's share of global freshwater at nearly 70%, a figure drawn from the total of the world's freshwater supply. The stated figures do not quantify current melt rates or future losses.
The players
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a UN agency that promotes education, science and culture worldwide.
The details
UNESCO is promoting integrated solutions that combine science, education, and Indigenous and local knowledge to protect glaciers, ice sheets, snow, sea ice and permafrost. The agency's message is tied to COP31, which carries the theme of water and ocean resilience.
Timeline
COP31 runs from 9 to 20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Roadmap
UNESCO's cryosphere advocacy sits within the run-up to COP31, where water and ocean resilience is the central theme. The agency's emphasis on combining science with Indigenous and local knowledge frames protection as a matter of integrated governance rather than isolated scientific fixes.
The cryosphere supplies a large share of the world's freshwater, so its condition affects water availability for communities that depend on glacier and snowmelt. Readers following climate policy can track whether COP31 outcomes address these frozen water stores.
The takeaway
Nearly 70% of the world's freshwater sits in frozen systems that are melting rapidly, making their protection a practical concern for water security. Watch how the COP31 discussions on water and ocean resilience respond to this warning.
Further reading
For broader context on climate and water systems, explore the Environmental section.
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Do you think the world's freshwater supply is getting better or worse?
