Dr. Keith Alverson (CNH Tour's own ad-hoc advisor on all things related to climate change, snow, glaciers and icebergs) will be at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris this week to moderate discussions during the course of an international"Brainstorming Session" to define priorities for a decade of action in cryospheric sciences.  

Keith poses for a selfie with a bit of the cryosphere in the background (Villarrica Volcano, Chile)

 

What is the cryosphere? The cryosphere is an umbrella term for those portions of Earth's surface where water is in solid form. This includes sea ice, ice on lakes or rivers, snow, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets and frozen ground (which includes permafrost). 

In August 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to declare the period from 2025 to 2034 as the "Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences". Championed by the Republic of France and the Republic of Tajikistan, and supported by a coalition of nations, this initiative underscores the urgent need for international scientific collaboration to mitigate the far-reaching effects of cryospheric changes on ecosystems, water security, and global climate stability.

A dedicated brainstorming session during the March 2025 celebrations in Paris will convene policymakers, scientists, and civil society to outline the priorities for the Decade of Action. This session aims to identify innovative research approaches, foster cross-border partnerships, and strengthen the integration of cryospheric science into global climate adaptation strategies. With UNESCO serving as the coordinating agency, the session will highlight the critical role of glaciers and the cryosphere in regulating freshwater resources.

This decade-long initiative builds on the momentum created by the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and will serve as a launchpad for the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences. It will lay the groundwork by fostering global cooperation on research, monitoring, and data-sharing to better predict the consequences of cryospheric changes on water resources, sea levels, and ecosystems. 

WHAT'S IN IT FOR CNH TOURS?
CNH Tours takes a keen interest in these international processes given that many of our guests are drawn by the wonders of polar ecosystems and land/icescapes.  Climate change is being felt particuarly strongly in the Arctic - leading to very measurable effects on the cryosphere there, and therefore, on ecosystems and on communities living there.    

We've asked Keith to keep in mind how this roadmap may relate to tourism and we hope he'll be able to report back to us later next week.