Indonesia on High Alert: BMKG Warns of Imminent Catastrophe as Papua's Eternal Ice Set to Vanish Within Months

Indonesia is on the verge of losing its only eternal ice in the tropics. According to a climatology expert from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the ice cap on Puncak Jayawijaya is expected to disappear completely by the end of 2026 or early 2027. The tropical glacier once stretched wide; in 1988, the ice area was still around 4.3 square kilometres. However, by September 2025, its area had dwindled to approximately 0.09 square kilometres, or only about 2% of the area recorded in 1988. It is not just the area that has decreased, the ice thickness is also thinning rapidly. In 2010, a long pole was anchored into the ice surface with a thickness reaching around 32 metres. Yet by 2023, the pole indicated the thickness had shrunk to only about 4 metres. The latest monitoring even reports that the ice at that point has now melted completely. Since 2016, the rate of ice thinning has been estimated at 2 to 2.5 metres per year. BMKG stated that this phenomenon is triggered by a combination of global climate change and El Niño, which makes temperatures hotter and weather drier in Indonesia. As a result, many researchers estimate that the eternal ice in Papua will completely vanish within a matter of months. For the indigenous people of Papua, Puncak Jaya is not just a mountain, but a cultural and spiritual symbol. The loss of the ice means the loss of an important part of their ancestral heritage. The impact is also deeply felt by the environment. Ice in the mountains helps maintain the water balance in Papua. If it melts, the ecosystem, Papuan habitats, and community agricultural land could all be affected. This demonstrates that climate change is truly happening and can be seen clearly on the peak of Jayawijaya, a mountain once blanketed in ice that is slowly losing its white layer. BMKG urged all parties to participate in slowing the dangerous threat of climate change, including by using public transport, conserving water, planting trees, recycling waste, and using environmentally friendly products.