The Second Inter-Polar Conference will bring together experts, early-career scholars, and knowledge holders from the Arctic and the Third Pole Hindu Kush Himalaya to explore the shared challenges of a rapidly changing cryosphere. 

Building on the success of the 2023 inaugural conference, this year’s gathering is organised jointly by the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI), in collaboration with the UArctic Chair in Arctic Legal Research and Education, and the UArctic Law Thematic Network. 

In alignment with the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP) 2025, the conference will spotlight how cryosphere decline is reshaping ecosystems, communities, and global climate systems, focusing on:

• Understanding cryosphere changes & impacts – from extreme events and hazards to food, water, and livelihood security.
• Protection, preservation & conservation – the role of governance, Indigenous knowledge, science diplomacy, and adaptation strategies.
• Socio-cultural dimensions – how local and Indigenous communities experience, interpret, and respond to rapid environmental change.

This unique inter-polar dialogue presents an opportunity to share knowledge, strengthen research and policy collaboration, and build resilience for communities most affected by changes in the cryosphere.

More information in the conference website: www.arcticcentre.org/EN/Inter-Polar-Conference