The glaciers in Colombia's Snowy Mountains are facing imminent extinction within 50 years. Their progressive melting is attributed to both the natural end of the current interglacial period and human-caused climate change from greenhouse gas emissions. The disappearance of the glaciers will affect the nearby environment and 3 million inhabitants who rely on the glacial meltwater for water supply. The imposing Nevado del Ruiz volcano is already losing 20 meters of its glacier length per year. Studies show that climate change is the main factor influencing glacier melting, and human actions to reduce emissions and manage water resources responsibly could help minimize further impact.

2. SNOWY COLOMBIANS, IN IMMINENT EXTINCTION
AS ROCKY HILLS, ALMOST NAKED IN THE LOSS OF ITS LAYERS OF SNOW. SO WE SEE TODAY THE RUIZ, THE SANTA
ISABEL AND THE TOLIMA, GLACIERS OF THE NATIONAL NATURAL PARK OF THE SNOWY PEAKS (PNNN) EXPERTS I
PREDICT THAT IN LESS THAN 50 YEARS, THE SAME FATE THE CHILI PEPPERS, AND THE CUMBAL (ON GRASS), AND
THE SUGAR LOAF AND THE PURACÉ (IN THE CAUCA), AMONG OTHERS SNOWY COLOMBIANS WHOSE MELTING WAS
IMMINENT DURING THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.

3. ITS PROGRESSIVE MELTING, SIMILAR TO THAT OF MANY ON THE PLANET, IS ATTRIBUTED BY SCIENCE AT THE END
OF THE INTERGLACIAL PERIOD (DETERMINED FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES) THAT IS EXPERIENCING FROM 10.000
YEARS AGO THE EARTH, BUT ALSO TO THE “LITTLE HAND” THAT THE HUMAN BEING WILL IS GIVING WITH THE
EMISSION OF GASES INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE MISUSE OF WATER RESOURCES! ITS DISAPPEARANCE DOES
NOT ONLY MEAN THE END OF A MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPE OF SNOW. ALSO AFFECTED CLOSE THREE MILLION
INHABITANTS OF THE AREA TO SUPPLY WATER PRODUCED BY THIS FACTORY NATURAL

4. THE IMPOSING KUMANDAY
• NEAR 58.300 HECTARES MAKE UP THE PNNN, WHOSE FAUNA IS REPRESENTED BY
CONDORS, DEER, SPECTACLED BEARS AND COUGARS. YOUR DEPOSIT IS THE PART WATER, BECAUSE IT HAS
BASINS THAT ARE BORN OF THE PARAMO ECOSYSTEM THAT TAKES THE WATER AND GIVEN TO THEN PROVIDE IT
TO THE POPULATION. THE ROAD MANIZALES - BOGOTA WAS THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE FOOT OF THE MAJESTIC
KUMANDAY (OR BANK BEAUTIFUL), AS NAMED ON THE VOLCANO NEVADO DEL RUIZ INDIGENOUS PEOPLES THAT
INHABITED THIS TERRITORY OF THE CORDILLERA CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RANGE. IT WAS ALMOST 7:00 IN THE
MORNING AND WHILE THE TRUCK IS OF AN ADVANCED THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN TO TAKE THE ALTERNATIVE TO
NEREIDS, THE RAYS OF THE SUN WERE ALLOWED TO SEE THE IMPOSING KUMANDAY ESTACIÓN MONITORING IN
PIJAO, QUINDÍO. INTERMITENTE THE SNOW PEAK OF THE RUIZ, WHICH WAS QUICKLY COVERED BY THE FOG.
DESPITE THE FACT THAT STUDIES OF THE IDEAM SHOW THAT THIS PARADISE GLACIER IS REDUCED 20 LINEAR
METRES PER YEAR, WHICH MEANS TO SEE AND TOUCH THE SNOW MUST CLIMB A LOT MORE, EVEN KUMANDAY IS
AWESOME.

5. GUALÍ, 3.850 METERS ABOVE THE SEA LEVEL, AND LATER WE WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE LOMA DOWN THE
PERPETUAL FOOTPRINTS, LANGUAGES OF MUD, WHICH LEFT THE AVALANCHE OF 1985, WHEN THE RUIZ EXPELLED
THEM FROM THEIR BOWELS STONE AND MUD IN THE CATASTROPHIC ERUPTION THAT DESTROYED THE
POPULATION OF ARMERO.
TO 4,100 METERS A.S.L. IS THE POSITION OF CONTROL ENTRANCE TO THE NATURAL PARK. AS IT PROGRESSED, THE
SCENERY WAS EVEN MORE EXOTIC. IT WAS TOTAL QUIET, AND AS IN A VALLEY LUNAR THESE THAT SHOW THE
CERRO GUALÍ.
MEASURES OF RETREAT OF THE FRONT GLACIAR.5PELÍCULAS ON THE SPACE, WAVES OF MIST COVERED HUGE
ROCK FORMATIONS THAT, SUDDENLY, WERE ESCAPING FROM THE DARKNESS.

6. • THE DECISION CONTINUOUS DATA IS NOT EASY, SAY RESEARCHERS, IS BECAUSE DURING THE DECADE LEADING
OBSERVING THE BEHAVIOUR OF GLACIERS HAVE HAD TO FACE OBSTACLES SUCH AS EXTENDED PERMISSIONS
(THREE DAYS A PART OF THE NATURAL PARKS TO ENTER THE AREA AND FIVE TO GET A TRUCK TO GET TO THE
PLACE) THAT HINDER THE EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE OF THE STATIONS AND TIMELY CARE OF A TECHNICAL
FAILURE, IN CASE OF NO-SHOW.
• PARTIAL CONCLUSIONS POINT OUT THAT THE MAIN FACTOR THAT INFLUENCE THE MELTING OF THE GLACIERS IS
CLIMATE CHANGE. NOT HOWEVER, THE SOLUTION ALSO DEPENDS ON ACTIONS THAT FORWARD THE HUMAN
BEING TO IMPACT LESS ECOSYSTEMS, SUCH AS BY EXAMPLE, MINIMIZE EMISSIONS OF CO2 TO THE
ATMOSPHERE. MORE LOCALLY, THE PEOPLE WHO BENEFIT FROM THE WATER RESOURCE ARE THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HIRING OF A MORE REASONABLE RESOURCES SUCH AS WATER AND ELECTRICITY.

7. • I'M GOING TO VISIT THE NEVADO DEL KUMANDAY. IN THESE SITES IN SPITE OF THESE CLIMATE CHANGE IN
THE FUTURE, THE MAIN GLACIERS, LITTLE BY LITTLE WILL CONTINUE DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF SNOW.
AND THERE ARE NO REVERSE GEAR FOR THIS DRAMATIC SITUATION.

8. THE END