World Water Day 2025: The role of open data in glacier preservation
World Water Day [https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day],
celebrated annually on 22 March, is a global event dedicated to
raising awareness about the vital role of water in sustainable
development, environmental preservation, and human well-being. By
bringing together policymakers, scientists, and communities, World
Water Day aims to advance solutions and highlight the 2.2 billion
people who lack access to safe water
[https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/],
driving action towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable
Development Goal [https://sdgs.un.org/goals] 6 ‘Ensure access to
water and sanitation for all’.

Each year, World Water Day is centred around a key theme. In 2025, the
focus is on glacier preservation. Glaciers serve as natural freshwater
reservoirs, supplying water for drinking, agriculture, industry, and
ecosystems. According to the data analysed in the UN-Water's flagship
World Water Development Report 2025
[https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day], glaciers hold
approximately 70% of the Earth's freshwater. However, they are melting
at alarming rates, losing over 600 gigatons of water in 2023 alone,
the largest recorded loss in 50 years. This contributes to rising sea
levels, which are now 20 cm higher than in 1900. 

Open data has become a crucial tool for monitoring environmental
changes and informing policies. It provides valuable insights for
decision-making, guiding actions and investments in water security.
For instance, the Satellite in Action data story
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/satellite-data-action-key-applications-eu-space-programme]
on data.europa.eu has already demonstrated how open data enhances
environmental tracking, such as monitoring glacier loss. Expanding
access to satellite data is key to revolutionising how we address
water-related challenges.

To explore this topic further and learn how data is shaping water
sustainability, have a look at the World Water Day 2025 events
[https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day/events]. This global
initiative underscores the importance of data-driven solutions and
international cooperation in tackling water scarcity, pollution, and
climate change. 

For more news and events, follow us on X/Twitter
[https://twitter.com/EU_opendata] and LinkedIn
[https://www.linkedin.com/company/publications-office-of-the-european-union/],
or subscribe to our newsletter
[https://data.europa.eu/en/newsletter].

Publication Date/Time
2025-03-22T09:00:00+00:00
A global initiative to promote water sustainability and equitable
access to clean water