Glacier Shrinkage and Environmental Impacts in the Tropical High Mountains of Africa

Mountain glaciers around the world have been retreating since the beginning of the 20th century. Glaciers in the tropical alpine zones of Africa are shrinking at a particularly fast rate. In the early 1900s, research in the tropical high mountains was exploratory, with observations of landforms, vegetation, and ecosystems, and the discovery of glaciers. During the 1950s to 1980s, the main research trend was to elucidate changes in the masses of glaciers. From the 1990s to the present, there have been many studies on the effects of climate change and shrinking glaciers on the surrounding environment and ecosystems. These studies were cumulatively greater than in other periods. This indicates that the tropical high mountains in Africa and their glaciers have attracted the interest of many researchers as icons at the forefront of the effects of climate change. Glaciers in the tropical African high mountains are expected to disappear within the next decade. In recent years, aridification and changes in the water environment have been reported not only in mountain bodies but also in foothill areas. Changes in the surrounding environment as glaciers shrink are summarized, in order to contribute to future environmental conservation.