New policy recommendations to respond to sea-level rise and a changing cryosphere

As sea levels continue to rise and the cryosphere transforms under the pressure of climate change, how can societies adapt ? What does the latest science say — and how can it guide action ?

The European project PROTECT – Projecting sea-level rise : from ice sheets to local implications, coordinated by the Institut des Géosciences de l’Environnement (IGE-CNRS), has just published a series of policy recommendations. These are endorsed by the European projects CoCliCo and OCEAN:ICE, and offer science-based guidance for decision-makers, planners, and adaptation specialists.

Glaciers, ice sheets, and sea-level changes are among the most visible and far-reaching impacts of climate change. Findings from PROTECT confirm the urgent need to both mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and develop robust adaptation strategies, particularly for vulnerable coastal and mountain regions.

The cryosphere is changing rapidly, but we can still influence how fast and how much — and prepare for what is coming.

Key scientific insights and actionable messages

The policy brief “Adapting to the changing cryosphere and sea-level rise : recommendations” distills the results of PROTECT into four key messages :

• Mitigation is critical : Reducing emissions directly limits mountain glacier and ice sheets mass loss, preserving critical water resources and limiting further acceleration of sea-level rise, thus giving more time for coastal adaptation.
• Adaptation is urgent : With inevitable impacts on water availability and coastal regions, adaptation is of greatest importance.
• Regional variability matters : Climate impacts on glaciers and sea levels vary substantially across regions, requiring tailored responses.
• Uncertainties are not barriers to action : Decision science offers pathways to act amid the uncertainties, leveraging adaptation frameworks and pathways.

Explore the 10 factsheets

Each of the following factsheets explores a specific aspect of sea-level rise and cryosphere evolution :

• Glaciers will keep losing mass, but we decide how fast and how much
• Every glacierized region evolves differently under climate change, and so do the impacts
• Ice shelf ocean melting and iceberg calving control the accelerated mass loss of the Antarctic Ice Sheet
• Future sea level : the enduring legacy of Antarctic ice loss
• The Greenland Ice Sheet is losing its protective firn buffer, accelerating mass loss.
• Regional sea level change is different from the global average
• Sea level is committed to rise until 2300 and beyond, but we can influence how much and how fast
• Navigating uncertainty : adapting to sea-level rise with flexible strategies
• Impacts and adaptation strategies for sea-level rise by 2150
• Shaping tomorrow’s coastlines : the long-term impact of sea-level rise

Key policy recommendations

• Accelerate emission reductions to follow the lower emission scenario to limit cryosphere loss and associated sea-level rise
• Enhance monitoring of glaciers and ice sheets to refine models and predictions
• Support the long-term development of ice sheet models, their integration into climate models, and the coupling of glacier models with hydrological models, while promoting education and training to build expertise in these areas
• Invest in flexible and localized coastal management that incorporates uncertainty and long-term projections
• Foster international collaboration to share knowledge, resources, and strategies for mitigating and adapting to global impacts

Read the policy-brief

Reference : Chapuis, A., Durand, G., Ballestros-Martinez, C., Champollion, N., Edwards, T., Hinkel, J., Heslop, F., Huss, M., Jourdain, N., Klose, A. K., Lincke, D., Malagón-Santos, V., Marzeion, B., Mottram, R., Nicholls, R., Pattyn, F., Slangen, A., Thiéblemont, R., van den Broeke, M. R., … Zekollari, H. (2025). Adapting to the changing cryosphere and sea-level rise : recommendations. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14650681

Scientific contact : Gael Durand