BMKG Reveals Indonesia Permanent Ice Cap Is Limited
The fate of the eternal ice on Puncak Jaya, Papua, is increasingly vulnerable. The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned that Indonesia’s last remaining tropical glacier is expected to disappear completely in the near future due to ongoing shrinkage.
The BMKG stated that the ice sheet, which has survived for thousands of years, may disappear by the end of 2026 or early 2027 if the melting rate continues at its current rate.
“Soon, Indonesia may lose its eternal ice forever,” the BMKG wrote on its official Instagram account.
The agency explained that climate change has accelerated the melting of the landscape on Puncak Jaya. Based on monitoring results, the area of ​​the ice sheet continues to shrink drastically from year to year.
“The ice on Puncak Jaya, Papua, continues to shrink from year to year. According to BMKG climatology experts, this eternal ice, which has survived for thousands of years, is expected to disappear completely by the end of 2026 or early 2027,” the BMKG wrote.
Data from the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) shows that in 1988, the area covered approximately 4.3 square kilometers. However, by September 2025, the area was reduced to approximately 0.09 square kilometers, or only about two percent of the area recorded nearly 40 years earlier.
Not only has the area decreased, but the thickness of the ice sheet has also continued to decline. This indicates that the melting process is accelerating, making the chances of preserving the only permanent ice shelf in the tropics increasingly slim.
The BMKG believes that the loss of the Puncak Jaya ecosystem is not merely the loss of a unique landscape, but also a stark warning of the increasingly felt impacts of climate change, including in Indonesia.
