International Mountain Day 2025; December 11th.

FORUM: “Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond” International Mountain Day 2025. The theme will highlight the importance of glacier preservation for agriculture, water security and the livelihoods of vulnerable mountain communities. Glaciers, vast reserves of ice and snow found across the planet, are far more than frozen landscapes - they are lifelines for ecosystems and communities. Yet, these critical components of the Earth's systems are undergoing rapid and alarming transformations with profound consequences for us all.  Glaciers and ice sheets hold around 70 percent of the world's freshwater. Their accelerated melting represents not only an environmental crisis, but a humanitarian one, threatening agriculture, clean energy, water security and billions of peoples’ lives. Their retreat, driven by rising global temperatures, is a stark indicator of the climate crisis. Melting glaciers and thawing permafrost increase risks such as floods, glacier lake outburst floods, landslides or enhanced erosion and sediment, endangering downstream populations and critical infrastructure. Economically, sectors like agriculture, hydropower, mountain tourism and transportation feel the strain of glacier changes. For many Indigenous Peoples, glaciers are sacred, and their disappearance signifies a loss of identity and connection to nature. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation to raise awareness on the vital role glaciers, snow and ice play in the climate system and water cycle, as well as the far-reaching impacts of rapid glacial melt. It aims to promote global collaboration, strengthen scientific research, and promote policies and actions to protect glaciers and cryospheric systems. Follow the conversations with the hashtags:#MountainDay, #ReadingMountains, #11December, #MountainsMatter, #mountainecosystem, #ecosystemservice, #InternationalMountainDay.

EVENTS: On thursday, December 11th, 2025, from 11.00 - 16.30 CET at the Atrium, FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy; Join the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at an event in the FAO atrium to celebrate International Mountain Day 2025. The event will feature prominent speakers and a dynamic set of activities that bring together global leaders, experts, mountain community representatives and change makers. Register to participate!

Glaciers matter for food, water and livelihoods in mountains and beyond,

International Mountain Day 2025 event.
Thursday, 11 December 2025 at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy
10.00-11.35 CET | High-level event, Sheikh Zayed Centre
11.35-15.00 CET | Exhibition and ice cream tasting, Atrium


The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat will host a high-level event on 11 December at FAO’s Sheikh Zayed Centre from 10.00-11.35 (CET). It will also be webcast in all 6 UN languages.

The programme opens with a video message from FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, followed by statements from distinguished speakers and mountain champions, the Mountain Future Award ceremony and a mountain youth panel discussion.

From 11.35 to 15.00 (CET), the celebration continues in FAO’s Atrium with the “From glaciers to cones” tasting experience, where visitors can enjoy artisanal ice cream and mountain products from Slow Food producers in Italy.

The Atrium will also host the interactive exhibition “On the Trail of the Glaciers” from 8 to 19 December. On display will be a striking visual exploration of glacier retreat around the world through comparative photographs and videos taken across time.

Provisional programme - Sheikh Zayed Centre

High-level segment
Zhimin Wu, Director, Forestry Division, FAO (moderator)
High-level statementsQU Dongyu, Director-General, FAO (video message)
H.E. Dinara Kemelova, Special Representative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on mountain regions development
H.E. Krisztina Bende, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Swiss Confederation to FAO
Filippo Lonardo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Italy to FAO
José Eduardo González Mantilla, Deputy Permanent Representative of Peru to the International Organizations based in Rome
Mountain Future Award 2025 ceremony

Giorgio Grussu, Project Coordinator, Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS), FAO (moderator)
H.E. Jonibek Hikmat, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tajikistan to the United Nations (TBC), presents the award to the three winners together with the sponsors Forte di Bard, Slow Food Italia and Sapienza University of Rome – Polo Museale
H.E. Taalai Bazarbaev, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to FAO, presents special award prize
Mountain Youth voices: Stories from the Glaciers Stefania Corrado, Communication and Advocacy Specialist, MPS, FAO (moderator)
Panel discussion featuring Mountain Youth Hub representatives:Jigchen Norbu, Bhutan
Sambat Ranabhat, Nepal
Mari Khruleva, Russian Federation
Closing remarksLudovica Tancredi Martinelli, Chair of the Mountain Partnership Steering Committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy

Exhibition and ice cream tasting, FAO Atrium

11.35–15.00: From glaciers to cones - An opportunity to taste artisanal ice cream crafted with glacier and mountain water-fed ingredients by Slow Food producers in Italy, as well as high-value mountain products.
8-19 December: "On the Trail of the Glaciers" exhibition; This interactive exhibition will display a striking visual exploration of glacier retreat around the world through large-scale comparison photos. 

LIVESTREAM: Watch the Worldwide events to mark the IMD2025. on and around December 11th and the global event hosted by the FAO - Watch the webcast!

IMD 2025 is a contribution to the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025, supporting efforts to underscore the critical role mountain regions play as a key source of global freshwater and ecosystem services. More than 2 billion people, including many Indigenous Peoples, rely on melt from glaciers and snow for their freshwater, including for their food security, livelihood, cultural and domestic needs. Immediate and collective action is needed to protect mountains and glaciers from the impacts of climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions are critical for stabilizing the climate and preserving glaciers. Advancements in glacier data and monitoring can guide effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. Indigenous Peoples and youth can drive collective action and lead the way forward. National policies must Address glacier-related challenges, from integrated water management to the establishment of protected areas and alert systems for cryospheric risks. Global cooperation is essential to mobilize resources, share knowledge and ensure glaciers are safeguarded for future generations.

As we dedicate IMD 2025 to glaciers, it is our shared responsibility to preserve these ancient ice formations, which are a crucial testimony of the Earth's history, the source of life for billions, and sacred places for many cultures. While “Glaciers matter for water, food and livelihoods in mountains and beyond” is the proposed theme, countries, communities and organizations can celebrate IMD 2025 in ways that resonate most with their challenges and priorities choosing a different theme as appropriate.

Mountain future Award 2025: If you have a brilliant idea for a transformative project on glaciers, sustainable mountain economies & livelihoods; Apply for the 2025 Mountain Future Award - winners receive a cash prize to support implementation.

PUBLICATION: Glaciers and mountains: The food, water security and livelihoods nexus.

Glaciers are more than frozen landscapes — they are lifelines. Mountain glaciers and other cryosphere components are crucial for agricultural production, livelihoods and water and food security with about 70 percent of the Earth’s freshwater existing as glaciers and ice caps. Climate change is a major driver of cryosphere change, including the melting of glaciers. Mountain water flows are therefore becoming more uncertain and variable, affecting the quantity, timing and quality of water for agriculture. When managed sustainably, mountain agriculture is not a driver of degradation but a solution, one that restores degraded ecosystems safeguards soil and water, enhances biodiversity and strengthens the resilience of mountain communities This brief, published by the Mountain Partnership on International Mountain Day, is a contribution to the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 and it provides an opportunity to Raise awareness about the vital role of glaciers and other cryospherecomponents both within mountain settings anddownstream, and offers several considerations for policymakers and practitioners.

Restoring mountain ecosystems: Challenges, case studies and recommendations for implementing the UN Decade Principles for Mountain Ecosystem Restoration.

Mountains are home to a variety of ecosystems that provide vital services directly to 1.1 billion people and billions of others living in connected lowland areas. Half of humanity depends on mountains for the provision of freshwater alone. Mountain ecosystems cool local temperatures, increase water retention, provide carbon storage, and reduce the risk of erosion and landslides. Mountain forests, wetlands and grasslands also host and support half the world’s biodiversity hotspots. But the world’s mountain ecosystems are under attack due to their particular sensitivity to the planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, and pollution and waste. Evidence shows that mountain ecosystems are affected at a faster rate than many other terrestrial habitats. This publication, jointly developed by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme, analyses several mountain ecosystem restoration projects and recommends how the UN Decade’s Ten Principles for Ecosystem Restoration can be applied to mountain ecosystems. Mountain restoration success stories from initiatives that have been selected or shortlisted as the UN Decade’s World Restoration Flagships are also highlighted. 

Mountain women of the world – Challenges, resilience and collective power.

Women play a key role in environmental protection and social and economic development in mountain areas. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity and keepers of traditional knowledge. Empowering rural women is crucial to eradicating hunger and poverty. Yet, due to discriminatory social norms, rural women still face more barriers than men in terms of access to strategic resources and the opportunity to raise their voices, which limits their potential as economic agents and resilience-builders. This publication highlights the stories and voices of mountain women, with a focus on rural areas and mountain tourism, and outlines a path forward to promote their empowerment and help them to realize their potential as agents of sustainable mountain development. It includes on-the-ground interviews with mountain women in eight countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania) and the results of a global survey. This study is published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, together with the Feminist Hiking Collective – a non-profit organization and transnational hub for feminist hikers, and a member of the Mountain Partnership.

TAKE ACTION:

• Stay tuned  for resources in all six UN languages that can be shared widely across your networks.
• Join the conversation on social media using the #MountainsMatter hashtag. 
• Pass on key messages or take a photo of your favourite mountain and share it with us and your friends.
• Organize or participate in activities that celebrate mountains and glaciers, including virtual presentations and events, photo competitions, art exhibitions and hikes.
• Promote your planned event by officially registering it on our gallery of events happening around the world.

Contact us for further information by Email: Info-IMD@fao.org