Kathmandu: The world’s attention is turning towards the unique challenges faced by two of our planet’s most extreme regions: the Arctic and the Third Pole, also known as the Hindu Kush Himalaya. As temperatures continue to rise, these frozen landscapes are rapidly thawing, impacting local communities, ecosystems, and the global environment. To address these interconnected issues, the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) are organizing Inter-Polar Conference from September 6-9.
The Inter-Polar Conference aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the Arctic and the Third Pole, fostering cooperation and understanding between experts from both regions. These two distant corners of the world share common challenges brought about by climate change, and it’s imperative that we work together to find sustainable solutions. “As the cryosphere thaws in both the Arctic and the Third Pole, the need for regional cooperation has never been more critical,” said Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD. “We must address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, air pollution, and biodiversity loss, as a unified global community. The Inter-Polar Conference is a significant step towards building a shared knowledge network that can drive positive change.”
“The conference will create a milestone for scholars from both regions to interact and promote dialogue on many common challenges the regions face,” according to Prof Kamrul Hossain, Research Professor and the Director of the Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law (NIEM) at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland.
The conference will bring together academics, stakeholders, and experts to discuss climate change-driven impacts on these regions. It will also serve as a platform for cultivating a deeper understanding of sustainability in an ever-changing climatic and geopolitical landscape.
Academics from the Arctic and the Third Pole were encouraged to submit abstracts covering a broad spectrum of topics, including climate change, environmental governance, geopolitics, indigenous studies, and more. The objective of the conference is to encourage interdisciplinary discussions that lead to creative solutions.
The First Ever Inter-Polar Conference promises to be a landmark event, fostering cooperation between two distant but interlinked regions. Interested individuals can participate virtually by registering through the link: www.icimod.org/ArcticHKH.
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