December 17, 2024 Photographer-turned-activist leads expeditions to witness climate change first hand

With Arctic temperatures rising four times faster than the global average, the ice of the widest glacier front in the northern hemisphere, Bråsvell Glacier in Svalbard, is retreating at an alarming rate. Roie Galitz wants the world to see it.

At 45 kilometers, the Bråsvell Glacier on the island of Nordaustlandet in Svalbard is the widest glacier front in the northern hemisphere. It lies at the southern edge of Austfonna, the world’s third-largest ice sheet, which spans more than half of the island.

Unfortunately, this 25-meter-high ice wall is as fragile as it is majestic. Nowhere on Earth is climate change more evident than in these latitudes, where average temperatures have risen by seven degrees since the 1950s—four times faster than the global average.

Climate change’s visible impact on Svalbard

Renowned nature photographer and environmentalist Roie Galitz has been documenting the Bråsvell Glacier since 2012, capturing the rapid disappearance of Svalbard’s ice firsthand.

“You get a jaw-dropping experience every time you’re here. It’s impossible not to see the changes. The glaciers are retreating very quickly. For me as a photographer, it’s complex. The more alarming the situation is, the more attention my pictures get,” Galitz explains.

In 2024, extreme weather events, including heatwaves, further accelerated the melting of Svalbard’s glaciers, marking one of the most extreme years in recorded history.

Encouraging awareness through photography

Galitz believes that visual evidence of climate change can inspire action.

“Everyone knows about climate change in theory, but if people see for themselves what’s happening, they might care more. That’s why I come back here as a photographer and also organize photo expeditions so people can see it with their own eyes,” Galitz concludes.