The Second Inter-Polar Conference 2025: A Milestone in Cryosphere Diplomacy!

PC Group picture: Jitendra Raj Bajracharya/ICIMOD

by Kamrul Hossain 

The climate crisis is a planetary crisis. It is a crisis for the Arctic. It is a crisis for the Third Pole Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH). Therefore, the climate crisis unites these two regions. Though vast distances separate them, the Arctic and the HKH are bound by fragile planetary interdependencies, and their futures are inextricably linked through the climate crisis. Melting Arctic glaciers and sea ice affect global weather patterns, impacting the monsoon in the Third Pole and creating a cascading effect. While the melting Arctic has more global implications, such as rising sea levels posing an existential threat to low-lying island countries and those located in deltas even far from the Arctic, the retreat of Himalayan glaciers threatens, among others, the water and food security affecting nearly two billion people, and endangers local and indigenous livelihoods. What happens in one pole reverberates in the other. Recognizing this interconnection, the Second Inter-Polar Conference: Connecting the Arctic with the Third Pole HKH, held in Kathmandu in 2025, sought to strengthen understanding of this shared destiny and showcase it.

From September 3–5, 2025, the UArctic Chair in Arctic Legal Research and Education and the UArctic Law Thematic Network co-organized a conference with the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Nearly 100 researchers, policymakers, young scholars, and Indigenous representatives gathered to discuss the theme, "Cryosphere, People, and Climate Change." The theme was no coincidence. It aligned with the International Year of Glacier Preservation (IYGP) in 2025, which emphasizes the need for immediate global action to protect glaciers and snow. Discussions highlighted the accelerating loss of ice, rising global temperatures, and worsening water insecurity—issues that directly threaten both ecosystems and communities. The message was clear: the cryosphere is a lifeline for human resilience and planetary balance, not just an environmental system.

What gave the conference its depth was the prominence of Indigenous perspectives from both the Arctic and the HKH. Their testimonies about changing landscapes, shifting ecosystems, and lived experiences of climate disruption gave urgency to the discussions. Traditional knowledge, woven into scientific dialogue, offered pathways to adaptation rooted in centuries of coexistence with ice and snow. Complementing these exchanges were keynotes, interactive workshops, and a photo exhibition that vividly illustrated life in polar and high-mountain regions. The exhibition, in particular, reminded participants that climate change is not only about numbers and data but also about cultures, livelihoods, and human stories that hang in the balance.

By the close of the conference, participants widely agreed that the Kathmandu gathering had become a milestone in cryosphere diplomacy. It bridged the Arctic and the HKH in unprecedented ways, laying the groundwork for joint strategies, collaborative research, and sustained knowledge exchange. The strong engagement of young scholars further underscored the importance of intergenerational collaboration in shaping long-term resilience. The conclusion was unmistakable: protecting the cryosphere is a planetary imperative. The Second Inter-Polar Conference— probably relatively small in scale but rich in vision—demonstrated how cooperation between two climate frontiers can inspire broader global action.