Fading fast: the final years of East Africa’s glaciers

East Africa’s tropical glaciers, from Kilimanjaro to Mount Kenya, are disappearing due to climate change. What does this mean for the continent’s water supply? Africa is famous for its rainforests, savannas, and deserts. These ecosystems cover most of the continent. But Africa is also home to areas that are permanently covered by ice. East Africa’s glaciers are found near the equator, at elevations above 5,000 metres. The largest are in Tanzania, on Mount Kilimanjaro, the continent’s highest peak. Other glaciers are found on Mount Kenya and in Uganda, on the Rwenzori Mountain range. Like glaciers around the world, these are melting due to climate change, affecting the people who live at the foot of the mountains as well as the local tourism industry. Local melting, global impact The World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) collects and analyses data on the mass balance, volume, area and length of the world’s glaciers. It was established in 1986 and is based at the University of Zurich.