China's glacier area shrunk by 26% since 1960, with global warming threatening water supplies.

Since 1960, China's glacier area has decreased by 26%, with 7,000 small glaciers vanishing. This rapid glacial retreat, primarily due to global warming, has intensified recently. Globally, the last three years saw the largest glacial mass loss on record. China has employed snow blankets and artificial snow systems to slow melting, but the loss of glaciers poses risks of water scarcity and disasters, as warned by UNESCO.