Colombia is facing a new environmental alert following the confirmed losing the Cerros de la Plaza glacier, located in the Sierra Nevada de Güican or El Cocuy. The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) verified in March 2026 that its glacier coverage reached 0 km², marking the total extinction of this ice mass and highlighting the accelerating impact of climate change on the country’s high-altitude ecosystems.
This glacier, which in the 19th century covered approximately 5.5 km², had been shrinking steadily over decades until it was reduced to just 0.15 km² in 2016. Its disappearance was not sudden, but rather the result of a prolonged process driven by global warming, reduced snowfall, and long-term climatic changes in the Andean region.
Extinction of the Cerros de la Plaza glacier in El Cocuy, Colombia: a historic retreat driven by climate change
The loss of the Cerros de la Plaza glacier represents a concerning milestone for Colombia, not only due to the disappearance of one of its most emblematic ecosystems, but also because of what it signifies in terms of environmental transformation. Experts have pointed out that rising temperatures and decreasing snowfall have accelerated glacier melt in the tropical Andes, a region particularly vulnerable to climate change.
In addition, the glacier’s relatively low altitude — close to 5,000 meters — made it more susceptible to current climate variations, further speeding up its disappearance. This process has intensified since the 1980s, when glacier retreat in Colombia became more pronounced.
The consequences of this loss go beyond the landscape. Glaciers play a key role in water regulation, especially during dry seasons, feeding rivers and streams that supply local communities and ecosystems. Their disappearance also affects biodiversity in páramo and high-mountain environments, which depend on these water sources.
Colombia and its glacier crisis
Currently, Colombia has six remaining glaciers, located on Nevado del Ruiz, Nevado del Tolima, Nevado de Santa Isabel, Nevado del Huila, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and the Cocuy system itself. However, all of them are in accelerated retreat and at high risk of disappearing in the coming decades.
The country has already lost more than 60% of its glacier coverage since the mid-20th century, and at least 13 glaciers have completely vanished. The remaining glacier area — around 37 km² — represents only a small fraction of what once existed across the national territory.
Projections are even more alarming. If current trends continue, Colombia could lose all of its glaciers before 2050, with Nevado de Santa Isabel and Nevado del Tolima considered among the most vulnerable.
A regional phenomenon: Venezuela and Latin America
Colombia’s situation is not isolated. Across Latin America, glacier retreat is a widespread trend. Venezuela, for example, lost all of its glaciers in 2024, when the La Corona glacier on Pico Humboldt was reclassified as an ice field due to its drastic reduction.
In contrast, Peru still holds the largest tropical glacier reserve in the world, although it has also lost more than 40% of its ice coverage. Ecuador, meanwhile, maintains active glaciers on volcanoes such as Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, but they too are experiencing rapid retreat.