David Fugazza, Glaciologist, EvK2CNR and University of Milan, Department of Environmental Science and Policy

David Fugazza is a glaciologist at the University of Milan whose research tracks one of the most visible frontlines of climate change: the accelerating disappearance of mountain glaciers. Working within the university’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy, he applies satellite imagery and drone-based remote sensing to monitor glacier retreat across the Alps and, critically for Pakistan, the Karakoram-Himalayan range, one of the most glaciated regions outside the poles. His published work spans glacier mapping, darkening of ice surfaces, debris cover evolution, and the downstream consequences of melt for water systems and community safety. He has directly co-authored research on glaciers in the Batura, Passu, and Gulmit areas of Pakistan, regions where glacial lake outburst floods represent a growing threat to millions of people. His work works at the intersection of hard science and urgent human stakes, and he has also invested in making that science accessible  through climate education projects with schools in Italy and Turkey, and through public installations designed to bring the reality of glacier loss to urban audiences who have never seen a mountain.