Kazakhstan’s Tuyuk-Su Glacier loses 10 meters of ice in 12 years

UNESCO-backed study warns rapid melt in Central Asia’s glaciers threatens freshwater supplies 

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (MNTV) — A glacier in southeastern Kazakhstan has lost ten meters of ice thickness in just over a decade, raising alarms about the accelerating pace of glacial melt in Central Asia.

According to a recent survey by the UNESCO Central Asian Glaciology Center, the Tuyuk-Su Glacier, located in the Northern Tien Shan mountain range, has thinned from 105 meters in 2013 to just 95 meters in 2025 — a loss comparable to the height of a three-story building. The findings were reported by The Astana Times.

The Tuyuk-Su Glacier is situated on the northern slopes of the Zailiyskiy Alatau range, approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city. Though modest in size — just 3.5 kilometers long — it is considered a critical “benchmark glacier,” providing long-term scientific data on the impact of global climate change. Measurements are regularly shared with the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) in Zurich, Switzerland.

Scientists say the glacier has not only lost vertical ice mass but also shrunk in area — from nearly 3 square kilometers to just 2.2. “On average, the glacier’s terminus retreats by about 25 meters per year,” said Vasily Kapitsa, head of the High-Altitude Geocryology Laboratory, who contributed to the study.

The Tuyuk-Su Glacier has been under continuous observation since the 1950s, making it one of the best-documented glaciers in the region. However, the last detailed survey before this year was conducted over a decade ago by Russian researchers from the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“This all began with the end of the so-called ‘Little Ice Age’ roughly 150 years ago,” said Nikolai Kasatkin, a scientist at the UNESCO glaciology center. “Since then, global temperatures have been rising steadily, with no major cooling periods. These rising temperatures are now causing glaciers to retreat in volume, area, and length.”

Glaciers in the Zailiyskiy Alatau region — part of the Northern Tien Shan mountains shared by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and western China — have already lost 49% of their total volume since the mid-20th century. On average, ice masses are losing about 1% of their volume annually.

If this rate continues, researchers warn, smaller glaciers may disappear entirely by the end of this century, significantly impacting water availability in the region. These glaciers feed key rivers that supply drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower for millions of people across Central Asia.

“The situation highlights the urgent need for effective water resource planning,” said Kasatkin, noting that glacial melt is a slow-moving crisis that threatens the region’s long-term environmental and economic stability.