IUCN at the Glaciers’ Preservation Conference
From 29 to 31 May 2025, IUCN is participating in the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, calling for urgent action to safeguard glacier ecosystems as critical assets for climate regulation, water security, biodiversity, and regional stability.
In the context of accelerating climate impacts and escalating water insecurity, the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, hosted by the Government of Tajikistan with the support of the United Nations and international partners, takes on urgent significance. The conference is a flagship event of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, declared by the UN General Assembly, and aims to raise awareness, foster international cooperation, and advance coordinated responses to glacier retreat.
IUCN welcomes Tajikistan’s leadership in elevating glacier preservation on the international agenda and brings to the conference a strong call for action grounded in science, legal innovation, and inclusive governance. As glaciers recede at unprecedented rates, threatening ecosystems, freshwater supplies, and regional stability, IUCN urges accelerated efforts to integrate glacier protection into national adaptation strategies, international legal frameworks, and cross-border cooperation platforms.
Key messages
Glaciers are critical ecosystems, freshwater reservoirs, and climate regulators that sustain biodiversity and underpin the resilience of entire regions. They should be recognised and protected not only as resources, but as shared natural heritage with ecological, cultural, and geopolitical value.
IUCN calls for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to safeguard glaciers, many of which lie in transboundary basins, through integration into national laws, enhanced monitoring systems, and cross-border governance mechanisms.
Glaciers are disappearing, and with them, vital sources of life and peace. Protecting them is not only a climate imperative, but a moral one.
Events
Thursday, 29 May 2025 | 14:00 – 16:30 | Hyatt Regency Ballroom
- Forum 5; High-Level Dialogue on Climate Resilience, Glacier Preservation and Water Cooperation. The panel will convene the Environment Ministers from the five Central Asian countries and the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Thursday, 29 May 2025 | 16:00 – 17:00 | Hilton Dushanbe
- Forum: Enhancing Transboundary Cooperation for Water Security and Climate Resilience in Glacier-Dependent Basins of Central Asia – Session 3: “Climate-Resilient Solutions and Innovative Financing”
Friday, 30 May 2025 | 16:00 – 17:30 | Kokhi Somon, Large Plenary, 4th Floor
- GLACIER FUTURES: Linking Knowledge, Communities and Policy for Climate Resilience (thematic session 5). Co-organised by IUCN and UN Environment Programme, this session will:
- Share real-world stories from glacier-dependent regions
- Explore innovative science-based tools for monitoring and preservation
- Examine policy pathways for ecosystem resilience
- Catalyse global partnerships for glacier preservation
