About the Event

Following the inaugural annual meeting of the HKH CryoHub held on 25-26 August 2025 at ICIMOD headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal, and the mid-year online meeting on 10 March 2026, we are convening the second annual meeting of the HKH CryoHub in Chengdu, China. The event will be held over three days and will include a two-day writeshop focused on finalising the HKH CryoHub White Paper, followed by the annual scientific meeting.

The first annual meeting was the cornerstone of the Hub, leading to the formation of Thematic Working Groups (TwGs) and the initiation of the White Paper. Building on that foundation, this year’s meeting will focus on research direction and implementation, policy engagement, and regional collaboration, in line with the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034).

This meeting marks several significant milestones for the CryoHub. The Statute of the HKH CryoHub will be presented, discussed and formally agreed upon. The inaugural Early Career Scientist (ECS) Award will be presented, with the awardee delivering a keynote. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS) to strengthen the region’s presence in global scientific forums. Together, these steps are expected to give significant momentum to the HKH CryoHub.

The meeting is organised by Action Area A (Managing Cryosphere and Water Risks) under Strategic Group 1 (Reducing Climate and Environmental Risks), with support from the Government of Norway and the Swiss Development Corporation.

Objectives

• Finalise the first draft of the White Paper on HKH Cryosphere Research: Status, Challenges, and Way Forward
• Approve the Statute/Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the HKH CryoHub
• Identify key research priorities for each TwG, with specific deliverables aligned to the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences
• Develop a comprehensive research plan for the HKH region
• Develop broad research questions on HKH Cryosphere to guide future funding mechanisms
• Explore and map potential funding sources to support TwG activities
• Finalise the Cryosphere-GESI framework for the HKH region
• Sign MoU with IACS to formalise global partnership

Background

During the previous Medium-Term Action Plan (MTAP IV), the HKH CryoHub functioned primarily as a digital outreach platform connecting cryosphere scientists and stakeholders across the region and beyond. Under MTAP V of ICIMOD, the Hub has evolved into a dynamic scientific network offering a consolidated view of regional knowledge on the cryosphere and its challenges.

Guided by its core principles of developing actionable solutions to urgent cryospheric issues and fostering collaboration among scientists, policymakers, and communities, the HKH CryoHub now serves as a regional knowledge agency. In alignment with the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP) and the Decade of Action for the Cryospheric Sciences, the CryoHub aims to catalyse regionally driven research, define priority actions, and support science-informed policy for safeguarding the HKH cryosphere. It also seeks to amplify the region’s profile in global forums such as IACS and the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS), building on decades of monitoring and scientific engagement in the region.