News, Publications
Call for Expressions of Interest: World Day for Glaciers 2026
UNESCO invites expressions of interest to organize side events at its Headquarters in Paris on 19–20 March 2026, in the context of the World Day for Glaciers 2026 celebration.
Call for Abstracts: EGU26 Session on Global Environmental Change in Mountain Social-Ecological Systems
The MRI and the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research at the Austrian Academy of Sciences welcome inter- and transdisciplinary contributions that examine past, present, and future environmental change, their associated impacts for ecosystems and people in mountain environments, and measures taken to address these impacts. Submission deadline for this EGU26 session is 15 January 2026.
Image: MRIExpressions of Interest for Coordinated Inputs to Support “Mountains” in the IPCC AR7
As the IPCC AR7 gets underway, the MRI is calling for expressions of interest for experts interested and willing to engage in coordinated efforts to develop assessment-relevant scientific syntheses and technical analyses on mountains. Deadline to register: 23:59 CET, Friday 31 October 2025.
The Voices of Glaciers: A Human Chronicle of Ice, Loss, and Resilience
In the tropics, glaciers are melting at an alarming rate – transforming landscapes, disrupting lives, and erasing cultural memory. The Voices of Glaciers is a powerful new book funded with the support of the MRI that shares the personal reflections of 35 individuals – from Indigenous elders to scientists – who are witnessing this change firsthand.
Image: Todd Antony
Call for Papers: Symposium on Glaciers and Deglaciation at the Swiss Geoscience Meeting
MRI, CIRM and FoLAP are organizing a symposium on the relevance of glaciers and deglaciation for society at the 23rd Swiss Geoscience Meeting on 6th December 2025 in Bern. Contributions from all fields of study are welcome.
Image: McKayla Crump on Unsplash
Mountain research initiative Call for Synthesis Activities 2025-2026
As part of its mission, the MRI provides funding contributions for syntheses activities that bring together global change researchers to address specific topics of relevance to the mountain research, policy, and practitioner communities. For 2025-2026, the call is specifically focused on responding to a key MRI objective in the 2023-2026 period, namely to “consolidate the state-of-the-art based on 25 years of scientific advances, research, syntheses, data, and information that has been fostered via the MRI”. Deadline for proposals: 6 June 2025
Image: MRISwiss Glaciers
The Swiss Alps are characterised by glaciers. Their retreat influences the landscape and tourism, harbours natural hazards, lowers the volume of water available in summer and even has an impact on the ocean. The extent to which the Alpine glaciers are retreating and whether they will eventually disappear depends on climate change and, consequently, global climate protection. The factsheet outlines the level of knowledge concerning glacial melting and its impact on society and, additionally, illustrates available options and courses of action.
Geomorphological visit of Lavaux for the Princess of Thailand
The Swiss Geomorphological Society, via its president Christophe Lambiel, had the honour of welcoming Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand for a geomorphological visit on 18 February 2025. The Princess, who is the sister of the King of Thailand, has been a close friend of Switzerland since childhood. A keen geomorphologist, she wanted to take a geomorphological tour of a site in Switzerland. Given the time of year and in order to optimize logistical arrangements, the proposal was made to visit the Lavaux vineyards on the shores of Lake Geneva, a cultural geomorphosite listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
Image: Christophe Lambiel