Papua’s “eternal snow” on the Sudirman Range is rapidly disappearing, with the remaining patches around Puncak Jaya expected to vanish within one or two years. The loss is significant not only as evidence of human-driven climate change, but also because the glaciers contain valuable climate records and hold profound spiritual importance for Indigenous communities.

A century ago, all four major peaks in the 300-kilometre range had permanent snow and ice; today, glacier cover around Puncak Jaya has fallen from nearly 1,900 hectares to about 16. Rising temperatures, changing snowfall patterns and El Niño events are accelerating the retreat, threatening a unique tropical ecosystem and cultural landscape revered by groups including the Moni and Amungme peoples.