East Africa’s mountain glaciers on Mount Kenya, Kilimanjaro, and the Rwenzori Mountains are rapidly disappearing, with Mount Kenya expected to lose its ice cap within three to five years. Scientists say the glaciers have shrunk dramatically over the past century, with nearly half of their remaining ice disappearing in the last decade alone. Researchers found the recession was primarily driven by reduced snowfall, an issue attributed to Indian Ocean sea surface temperature shifts linked to global warming, rather than direct temperature increases. While the glaciers are too small to serve as major freshwater reservoirs, their loss threatens specialized high-mountain microorganisms, alters fragile mountain ecosystems, eliminates valuable climate research sites, threatens tourism centered on East Africa’s snow-capped peaks, and erases an iconic feature of the region’s natural landscape.
The Conversation