As part of the United Nations System’s 2025 World Water Day and in commemoration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between Chile and the Netherlands, a high-level webinar was held on March 24 focusing on the preservation of glaciers and water towers. This initiative brought together authorities, water resource specialists, glaciologists, diplomatic representatives, and international organizations with the goal of highlighting the urgent need to protect these strategic ecosystems, which are essential for water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

As part of the United Nations System’s World Water Day 2025, and in celebration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between Chile and the Netherlands, a high-level webinar was held on March 24, focused on the preservation of glaciers and water towers. This event brought together authorities, water resource experts, glaciologists, diplomatic representatives, and international organizations to highlight the urgency of protecting these strategic ecosystems, which are essential for water security, climate resilience, and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The session, framed around the UN’s World Water Day 2025, was inaugurated by Ms. Elke Merks, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Chile. She emphasized her country’s commitment to international environmental cooperation. Following her, Ms. Rayén Quiroga, Head of the Water and Biodiversity Unit at the Natural Resources Division of ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), stressed the importance of water towers—mountain ecosystems and glaciers—as critical regulators in the water cycle. She particularly noted their importance amid climate change impacts, serving as vital sources for human consumption, agriculture, and energy production. Quiroga also noted the seminar’s aim was not only to identify challenges, but also to share concrete solutions and strengthen the institutional capacities of regional countries toward a sustainable and inclusive water transition.

During the session, Ms. Silvia Saravia Matus, Economic Affairs Officer at ECLAC, presented the key findings of the Latin America and Caribbean chapter of the 2025 UN World Water Development Report, which focuses this year on preserving mountains and glaciers as water towers. Her presentation delivered a detailed analysis of the role these ecosystems play as natural reservoirs, warning of the rapid retreat of Andean glaciers—which have shrunk by 30% to 50% since the 1980s. This decline directly threatens water supply, food security, hydroelectric generation, and the sustainability of mountain cities and valleys. She highlighted specific impact cases such as the Chingaza system in Bogotá, glacier loss in Lima, and reduced hydroelectric capacity in Peru and Ecuador. Saravia concluded with a call to action for strong legal frameworks, green infrastructure investment, and participatory local governance that incorporates ancestral knowledge and community management.

From the Netherlands, renowned glaciologist Mr. Peter Kuipers Munneke contributed a scientific perspective on the global melting phenomenon. He explained how climate system warming has increased glacier mass loss in regions like Greenland, the Alps, and Antarctica, causing transboundary effects that threaten global climate stability, sea level, and freshwater availability for hundreds of millions of people. His remarks reinforced that glacier protection is not just an environmental responsibility, but a global strategic imperative.

Representing the Chilean government, Mr. Jorge Huenante, Analyst from the Glaciological Network of the General Directorate of Water, outlined the country’s policies and actions to protect continental glaciers. He detailed advances in satellite monitoring, the inclusion of climate variables in water planning, and legislative proposals to recognize glaciers as strategic national assets. He also emphasized the importance of an integrated watershed management approach, from high mountains to lowland areas.

Next, Ms. Constanza Espinosa from Fundación Glaciares Chile presented the active role of civil society in defending and valuing glaciers. She shared experiences in environmental education, policy advocacy, and territorial alliance-building, emphasizing the need to recognize the shared and transboundary value of these ecosystems. Espinosa stressed the importance of ensuring that water governance includes mountain communities who live in and protect these areas.

Finally, the session concluded with remarks from Chile’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mr. Jorge Carvajal, who praised the spirit of cooperation that shaped this dialogue. He asserted that the climate crisis demands shared responses, grounded in science, diplomacy, and state commitment. He also acknowledged the crucial role of the international community and multilateral organizations in promoting joint action to safeguard water towers and ensure water security for future generations.

This webinar served as an example of effective water and climate diplomacy, showcasing how collaboration among countries, international bodies, and civil society can generate tangible solutions to confront one of the most critical threats of the 21st century. Amid the rapid degradation of mountain ecosystems, Chile and the Netherlands reaffirmed their commitment to climate action and water protection as a central pillar.