Less than 200 years ago, nearly 1,900 hectares of ice covered Puncak Jaya, the highest peak in Oceania, located in Central Papua on the island of New Guinea. This mountain, known for its "eternal snows" under the equator, is considered one of the most unique natural sites in the world, according to West Papua Voice. However, the term "eternal" may soon become outdated. According to recent data from Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), only about 16 hectares of ice remain on Puncak Jaya, reducing the glacial surface to just 0.16 square kilometers—barely 2 percent of what was observed in 1988. Researchers now estimate that the ice may vanish entirely within a few months, as reported by Detik. The accelerated melting is partly due to the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, a climate pattern that warms ocean temperatures in the Pacific and causes extreme weather events, such as droughts, across the region. During the intense El Niño of 2015–2016, the glacier lost between one and five meters of ice annually. Puncak Jaya is among the last remaining tropical glaciers on Earth, with others found only in the Andes and East Africa. These glaciers, perched above equatorial forests, are highly sensitive to temperature changes and serve as early indicators of global climate shifts. In other parts of the world, glaciers are also vanishing rapidly. In Venezuela, the Humboldt Peak glacier was reclassified in 2024 as an ice field rather than a glacier. In Mexico, the last glacier on Citlaltépetl (Orizaba Peak) may disappear before 2033. While the ice loss in Papua no longer significantly affects sea levels or water resources, its sensitivity to temperature makes it a vital indicator of climate change. Marie Sabacka, a glaciological ecology specialist, notes that these glaciers are "early sentinels" of crossing critical thermal thresholds. For the indigenous Amungme and Moni peoples, Puncak Jaya—known as "Nemangkawi Ninggok" or "White Arrow Peak"—is a sacred place, central to their cosmology. The loss of its ice is seen as a sign of imbalance between humans and nature, according to Golan Nusantara. Beyond cultural significance, the mountain hosts rare and unique ecological habitats that are disappearing before they can be fully studied. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, volcanic activity and the looming "super-El Niño" are prompting increased preparedness across Asia.