Report: Two of the world’s very few tropical glaciers in Indonesia are melting

Indonesia’s geophysics agency has raised concerns over the melting of two of the world’s rare tropical glaciers, warning that they might disappear by 2026 or even earlier, coinciding with the El Nino weather pattern’s extension of the country’s dry season.

Indonesia, home to a third of the world’s rainforests, anticipates a prolonged dry season until October, exacerbated by El Nino, which has amplified the threat of forest fires and jeopardized clean water supplies.

The agency has indicated that the ongoing Pacific weather phenomenon could make this year’s dry season the most severe since 2019. A climate researcher from the agency, Donaldi Permana, highlighted the added risk to Indonesia’s tropical glaciers. These ancient glaciers, known as the ‘Eternity Glaciers’, are over 12,000 years old.

Permana stated, “The glaciers might vanish before 2026, or even faster, and El Nino could accelerate the melting process,” in reference to the glaciers located on the 4,884-meter (16,000-foot) Carstensz Pyramid and the 4,700-meter (15,420-foot) East Northwall Firn in the Jayawijaya mountains in Papua’s easternmost region.

According to Permana, these glaciers have considerably diminished over recent years, thinning from 32 meters in 2010 to just 8 meters in 2021. The total area has shrunk from 2.4 square kilometers in 2000 to 0.23 square kilometers in 2022.

However, Permana indicated that little can be done to halt this shrinking process. He warned that the disappearance of these glaciers could disrupt the regional ecosystem and contribute to a rise in global sea levels within the next decade.

“We are now in a position to document the glaciers’ extinction,” said Donaldi, who coordinates the climate research division of Indonesia’s geophysics agency, known as BMKG. “At least we can tell future generations that we used to have glaciers.”

Beyond Papua, tropical glaciers are also found in the Andes of South America, as well as on the Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and Rwenzory mountains in Africa.

Indonesia, a major coal exporter, aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2060. Over half of its energy supply is derived from coal-fired power. The country has set an ambitious target of reducing emissions by 31.89% by 2030, or 43.2% with international assistance.