Kathmandu, 3 September 2025
A landmark international summit aimed at strengthening ties between the world’s two most vulnerable cryospheric regions - the Arctic and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) - has begun in Kathmandu today.
The three-day event, hosted at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Lalitpur, has brought together 95 academics and experts, including 33 from leading Arctic universities and 62 from institutions across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The conference is set to explore the accelerating pace of cryosphere loss and its devastating implications for global food, water, and energy security.
Inaugural sessions this morning welcomed distinguished speakers such as Dr Johanna Ikävalko, Director of the Arctic Centre; Prof Mitsutaku Makino, President of the Ocean Policy Research Institute; Dr Rajendra P. Mishra, Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Forests and Environment; and Prof Kang Shichang, Chair of the Chinese National Committee for the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences, among others.
Participants will deliberate on ‘interpolar responses’-policy and research strategies to address common challenges faced by the Arctic and the HKH. These include integrating cryosphere-related risks into countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs), national adaptation plans (NAPs), and advancing the Global Goal on Adaptation under the Paris Agreement.
“Both the Arctic and the Hindu Kush Himalaya are facing unprecedented changes that directly affect billions of lives. This conference is about connecting science, policy, and practice to safeguard the future,” said Dr Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD.
The conference underscores the urgency of collaborative solutions, given that cryospheric changes in these regions not only threaten local communities but also have cascading global impacts, including rising sea levels, disrupted ecosystems, and altered climate systems.
The event, officially titled the Second Inter-Polar Conference 2025: Connecting Arctic with HKH, will continue through 5 September, with further technical discussions and policy dialogues scheduled.
For more information, visit ICIMOD’s website to get official agenda.
