Launch of IYGP 2025 GWYN Side Event: GW in Glacier Regions and Youth Participation

Alice Aurelli, a distinguished member of the Board of Directors of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainability at UPC, delivered the opening remarks at the event titled "Glaciers and Groundwater: Promoting Research and Water Cooperation." Her address set the tone for the gathering, highlighting the critical importance of advancing research and fostering international collaboration to address pressing water-related challenges.

Glacier regions serve as vital freshwater reservoirs, playing a crucial role in ecosystems, water availability, and climate resilience. However, their interactions with groundwater and permafrost remain under-researched, leaving significant knowledge gaps in understanding and mitigation strategies.

In December 2022, the UN General Assembly declared 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation and designated March 21st as the World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025. This initiative aims to raise global awareness of the critical role of glaciers, snow, and ice in the climate system, as well as the economic, social, and environmental consequences of changes in the Earth’s cryosphere.

To launch the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025, a high-level event was held on January 21, 2025, in Geneva, focusing on the links between glaciers and groundwater. As part of this initiative, the UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network (GWYN) hosted an online side event, further exploring glacier-groundwater interactions and reinforcing youth involvement in research, policy, and advocacy. Young researchers, students, and professionals shared insights, addressed key challenges, and fostered collaboration in this crucial field. The event also underscored the critical role of youth in research, advocacy, and education to safeguard these fragile systems for future generations.

Event Highlights:

• Moderator: Gabriela Calderon (GWYN, Argentina)

• Opening Remarks: Alice Aureli (Governor, UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain) – "Glaciers and Groundwater: Promoting Research and Water Cooperation"

• Key Presentation: Lauren Somers (Dalhousie University, Canada) – "High-Drogeology: Mountain Groundwater Under Climate Change"

• Roundtable Discussion: Glacier-Groundwater Interactions and Youth Involvement in Glacier Preservation

  • Moderator: Caio Macedo (GWYN, Brazil)

  • Panelists:

    • Isabelle Wicks (Northumbria University, UK)

    • Noelia Sileo (CNEA, Argentina)

    • Lucija Plantak (GWYN, Croatia)

    • Ana Paola Alberto Cruz (CIGLAS, Peru)

    • Marie-Claire Graf (Youth Negotiators Academy and YoU-CAN, Switzerland)

• Closing Remarks: Paolo Colombo (GWYN, Italy)

This event served as a platform to strengthen international cooperation, promote research, and empower youth to take an active role in glacier preservation and water resource management.

Video of the presentation: Here