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Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest place in the world. Credit: UNDP/Raja Venkatapathy
Opinion by Raja Venkatapathy Mani (antarctica)Monday, February 24, 2025Inter Press ServiceANTARCTICA, Feb 24 (IPS) - It was 7:30 a.m. I got ready the fastest I could, adrenaline kicking in, curiosity and excitement peaking. I rushed out of my cabin, opened the big exit door, and there in front of me was the first visual of the majestic white continent - Antarctica.
It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when we think of the climate crisis, but this frozen ecosystem is experiencing some of the most dramatic consequences from global heating.
The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation to highlight the critical role glaciers, snow and ice play in the climate system as well as the far-reaching impacts of rapid glacier melting.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest place in the world. When you set foot on land, it feels like stepping onto a frozen wonderland unlike anything else. Imagine standing on ice sheets as thick as 4 kilometres, feeling the chill of the wind flowing from the Polar Plateau. Holding 90 percent of the world’s surface freshwater, Antarctica is the largest freshwater reservoir on our planet, a frozen lifeline at the bottom of the world.
Apart from scientists who live in research stations, there are no permanent humans or human settlements. With average temperature around -50°C to -60°C in the winter, the harsh conditions make survival extremely difficult.
After spending a week in Antarctica, here’s what I learned about Earth’s last great wilderness.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest place in the world. Credit: UNDP/Raja VenkatapathyCritical habitat for rare wildlife
It’s not just the captivating landscapes. Antarctica is home to a range of extraordinary wildlife that live here in these challenging conditions. It is a place where nature's wonders come to life in the most extreme conditions.
The penguins waddling on their highways, seals lounging on the icy shores and majestic whales diving in the icy waters are all part of a thriving ecosystem. These creatures and many others migrate to Antarctica to feast on krill, tiny sea creatures that are found in the nutrient-rich waters.
Wildlife such as penguins rely on the ice for breeding, with their colonies found across the region. Ice also serves as a feeding ground, a place for regulating body temperatures while providing resting and moulting grounds for birds.
The continent is also the world’s largest natural laboratory, where ground-breaking research is being undertaken on climate change, geology, ecology and biodiversity. This helps us to understand the earth systems including how it might have looked millions of years ago, analyse current changes, and predict and prepare for potential future changes.
Antarctica is carbon negative, which means it absorbs more carbon than it produces. However global emissions threaten its balance. The weather patterns here are quite erratic. On one day, it was so warm that I had to remove multiple layers of clothing. As someone who had only heard about the extreme cold, I never imagined that I would experience one of the warmest days ever in the coldest place on Earth.
Despite being so remote from human interaction, Antarctica faces one of the greatest threats from climate change. The 2023 State of the Global Climate report revealed that Antarctic sea ice loss is accelerating in dangerous ways. And glaciers likely lost more ice than ever before in 2023, which will have dramatic consequences for all of us no matter where we live.
Credit: UNDP/Raja VenkatapathyWhat happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica
Antarctica's gigantic ice sheets reflect a significant amount of sunlight back into space, which helps keep our planet cool. But the coldest place on the planet is today one of the fastest-warming regions. Even small increases in temperature can have significant effects on its ice sheets, glaciers and ecosystems.
More than 40 percent of Antarctica’s ice shelves have shrunk in the past 25 years. Warmer temperatures contribute to the melting of ice shelves that could lead to sea level rise affecting small island nations and coastal communities.
Antarctica's cold waters play a crucial role in driving ocean currents, including the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, a powerful ocean current that flows clockwise around Antarctica, connecting the world's major seas. The warming of the ocean will alter these currents, which help to determine global weather patterns, impacting fisheries, agriculture and climate systems.
Declining ice will also mean habitat loss for Antarctica’s wildlife, which will affect their breeding and survival. This will disrupt the ocean's food chain, affecting fish stocks that people rely on for food and jobs. Additionally, penguins play a role in storing carbon, so their decline will contribute to accelerating climate change, and in turn to more extreme weather events worldwide.
Basically, what happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica; the impacts will be felt worldwide.
As I stood on the glacier learning about the ice dating back millions of years, the history of the place reminded me that our time as humans is very limited, but the planet lives on. It is our responsibility, and it is only fair, that we leave the Earth how we inherited from our ancestors – if not better.
A model for multilateralism
Geographically, geologically, biologically and politically, Antarctica is a unique place. Nobody owns Antarctica; it is bound by the Antarctic Treaty consisting of 57 nations devoted to peace and science. It is one of the finest showcases of why international cooperation is essential. All the countries work here together for the cause of science and for the common good of our beautiful planet.
The discovery of a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica galvanized global concern and action. Imagine the ozone layer as a filter that blocks harmful ultraviolet radiation, which could potentially increase the prevalence of skin cancer and cataracts, reduce agricultural productivity and threaten marine ecosystems.
When nations came together to address this concern, it led to the adoption of the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to protect the ozone layer by phasing out ozone-depleting substances that were commonly used in products such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers and aerosols. UNEP data finds that we are now on the path to recovery, with the ozone layer expected to heal by 2066.
This success story is an important lesson of what countries can do when they work together to confront a global crisis. The story of Antarctica is a reminder that we are yet again being put to test with the growing climate crisis. It is the defining challenge humanity faces, and what we do and don’t do will determine our future.
Now more than ever we have to join together and work as one team to end our reliance on fossil fuels, reduce our emissions and limit global average temperature rise to 1.5°C.
As I stood on the glacier learning about the ice dating back millions of years, the history of the place reminded me that our time as humans is very limited, but the planet lives on. It is our responsibility, and it is only fair, that we leave the Earth how we inherited from our ancestors – if not better.
Raja Venkatapathy Mani is Digital Communications Analyst, UN Development Programme (UNDP)
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© Inter Press Service (2025) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service
