10 Interesting Facts About Colombia’s Vanishing Glaciers And Paramos
Colombia is home to some of the most remarkable glaciers in the world. There are 6 spectacular high mountain regions of Colombia where you find rare equatorial glaciers.
These frozen landscapes, perched high in the Andes, are among the last remnants of an ancient ice age. They play a crucial role in sustaining ecosystems and communities across Colombia.
The glaciers and páramos ecosystems that act as natural reservoirs for both glacier meltwaters and rainfall in the mountains of Colombia provide water for over 75% of the country’s population.
However, Colombia’s glaciers are disappearing fast. Rising temperatures and climate change threaten to wipe them out entirely by 2050.
Here are 10 interesting facts to spark your curiosity to learn more about these disappearing giants:
1. Colombia Is One Of Only 7 Countries With Equatorial Glaciers
Most glaciers are found near the poles, but Colombia’s exist in a unique setting—just a few degrees north of the equator. Their survival depends on their extreme altitude.
Unlike the northern glaciers in Europe and North America, Colombia’s tropical glaciers are relatively constant in temperature. This results in a shorter period of ice accumulation and a longer, year-round period of melting.
Despite the tropical location, these glaciers have endured for thousands of years. They rely on a delicate balance of temperature and snowfall to persist. Unfortunately, this balance is now unstable. Rising global temperatures are accelerating their decline.
Colombia is one of only seven countries worldwide—along with Ecuador, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, New Guinea and Indonesia—to host equatorial glaciers. Their existence is a rare phenomenon.
2. Only Six Glaciers Remain In Colombia’s Mountains
At the start of the 20th century, Colombia had 14 glaciers. Today, only six remain.
These glaciers include Nevado del Ruiz, Nevado del Tolima, Nevado Santa Isabel, Nevado del Huila, Nevado del Cocuy, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Each has lost massive amounts of ice.
Over the last century, Colombia’s glaciers have shrunk by more than 80%. Some, like Nevado Santa Isabel, could disappear in just a few years.
This loss is more than just environmental—it affects local communities who rely on glacial meltwater for drinking water, farming, and hydropower.
3. Tropical Glaciers Are Disappearing Faster Than Ever
Colombia’s glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to climate change. Warmer temperatures and reduced snowfall are to blame.
Scientists predict that all of Colombia’s glaciers could disappear within the next 30 years. Some may be gone in a decade.
Colombia’s lowest-laying glacier, Nevado Santa Isabel is the most vulnerable. Its ice is retreating so quickly that experts believe it could vanish entirely within 5 years.
Without glaciers, water supplies will become unpredictable, impacting millions of people and local biodiversity.
4. Colombia’s Fragile Páramos Are Also Threatened
Páramos are unique, high-altitude ecosystems that are partially fed by glacier meltwater and are closely tied to Colombia’s water supply system. They act as natural reservoirs, storing and releasing water due to the presence of endemic plants known as frailejones (also called Espeletia).
The Páramos are the richest mountain ecosystems in terms of floral biodiversity. The most striking plant here is the Frailejones, which are covered in a silvery velvet fuzz made of mosses and lichens, nearly phosphorescent, and these beautiful plants can grow up to 3 metres high.
Páramos are one of the rarest high-altitude ecosystems on Planet Earth (nearly 50% of the world’s paramos are found in Colombia). They are only found between 3,300 and 4,700 metres above sea level, marking the boundary between Colombia’s cloud forests and the dense snow and ice of its glaciers.
The disappearance of Colombia’s glaciers adds to the uncertainty over the long-term future of its páramo ecosystems, which are already severely affected by the climate crisis, unsustainable agricultural practices and forest fires.
5. Nevado del Huila Is Colombia’s Tallest Volcano
Nevado del Huila stands at 5,364 meters (17,598 feet), making it Colombia’s highest glaciated volcano.
Its towering presence has been a landmark for Indigenous communities for centuries. Many consider it a sacred site.
Like other Colombian glaciers, Nevado del Huila has been shrinking rapidly. It has lost nearly half of its ice since the mid-20th century.
Glacier loss increases the risk of landslides and floods, threatening nearby communities. It also means a lot less water for the rivers and páramos, which threatens the supply of drinking water for millions of Colombians.
6. Glacial Water Feeds Important Rivers of Colombia
Colombia’s glaciers are essential for major rivers, including the Magdalena and Cauca Rivers.
These rivers supply water to millions of Colombians and support agriculture, hydropower and ecosystems.
As glaciers shrink, water availability becomes more unpredictable, especially during dry seasons and the long periods of drought that are now plaguing this tropical country..
This affects food security, electricity production and local wildlife. Conservation efforts are crucial.
7. Nevado del Cocuy Has the Largest Glacier Mass
The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy is home to Colombia’s largest remaining glacier system. The glaciers contains the equivalent of about 256,000 Olympic swimming pools of water.
Despite its size, the glaciers here have lost nearly 90% of their ice since the early 20th century but it is still estimated to contains about 36% of the country’s total glacial coverage.
Glacial retreat has made some trails unstable, leading to restrictions on tourism in the region.
Sustainable tourism efforts aim to balance conservation with allowing visitors to experience this incredible landscape.
8. Many Glaciers Are Sacred to Colombia’s Indigenous Peoples
For Indigenous communities such as the U’wa, Kogi, Muisca, and Arhuaco, glaciers are sacred.
They believe the glaciers house spirits and act as protectors of the land. Their melting is seen as an ecological warning.
Indigenous leaders advocate for climate action to preserve these sacred landscapes.
Their traditional knowledge and environmental efforts play a crucial role in conservation.
9. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’s Glaciers Are Vanishing
You can sit on a tropical beach on the Northern Caribbean Coast of Colombia and see the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which is the world’s tallest coastal mountain range.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has lost 92% of its glaciers since 1900 due to rising temperatures, they have almost completely disappeared, altering local water cycles.
The loss of ice has impacted Indigenous communities and biodiversity who call this area Gonawindua or the sacred “heart of the world”. The Kogi’s ecological warning to the world has been documented in the excellent documentary film Aluna.
Many scientists are monitoring the region to understand the long-term effects of glacier loss in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
10. Glacier Tours Are Becoming More Popular In Colombia
Despite their decline, Colombia’s glaciers attract adventurers eager to see them before they vanish.
Guided hikes in Los Nevados National Park and El Cocuy National Park offer visitors a chance to explore these icy landscapes.
Ecotourism is now an important tool for raising awareness about climate change and it offers perhaps the greatest tool we have to inspire the younger generation to care about the loss of biodiversity that is driving the coming climate change apocalypse.
Sustainable tourism practices help protect these fragile ecosystems while allowing people to experience their beauty.
Protecting Colombia’s Glaciers And Páramos
Colombia’s glaciers are extraordinary, not just for their beauty but for their role in water supply, culture, and history.
However, they are disappearing at an alarming rate. If current trends continue, future generations may never see them.
Conservation efforts are underway, but real change depends on global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, restore the world’s forests and protect biodiversity.
We pray that something can be done before they vanish forever.
Fortunately, a Colombian woman from Medellin named Marcela Fernandez has started an organization called Cumbres Blancas to raise awareness about the loss of glaciers.
Protecting these glaciers means protecting Colombia’s water, ecosystems and cultural heritage.
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