The Department of Geosciences of the University of Fribourg and the Platform Geosciences of the Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) cordially invite you to participate in the 24^th Swiss Geoscience Meeting to be held 20-21 November 2026 in Fribourg, Switzerland.

The Swiss Geoscience Meetings provide an ideal environment to foster informal contacts and discussion among scientists and practitioners.

Deadline for registration is 30 October 2026

---

Programme

Friday 20 November

The SGM will start on Friday morning with the GEODES Workshop on «Racism in research and society».

The theme of this year’s Plenary Session on Friday afternoon is:

‘Regional Geosciences – Key to Future Resource and Risk Management‘

Regional geosciences play a central role in addressing some of the most pressing societal challenges of the 21^st century. From the sustainable use of natural resources to the assessment and mitigation of natural hazards, geoscientific knowledge forms the basis for environmental management, informed decision-making, and long-term planning.

The SGM in Fribourg 2026 explores the crucial contribution of regional geosciences through two complementary discussion blocks — one on Resources and one on Risk — featuring designated keynote speakers. Beyond their scientific dimension, both resource use and risk management raise important societal, political, and ethical questions. Decisions regarding access to resources, acceptable levels of risk, spatial planning, and adaptation strategies involve multiple actors and competing interests.

Recognising this, SGM 2026 fosters dialogue between keynote speakers from the geosciences and public administration in order to bridge knowledge production, decision-making, and societal development.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Florence Magnin from the Université de Savoie-Mont-Blanc
• Costanza Bonadonna from the Université de Genève
• Sylvie Sander from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University
• Stefan Heuberger from ETH Zurich

The day will end with the traditional Swiss Geoscience Party.

Saturday 21 November

A series of 34 scientific symposia, as well as one Workshop on Open Geosciences Data will cover the diverse spectrum of current research in geosciences, encompassing the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, the biosphere, the atmosphere and the anthroposphere.

This includes the following MRI co-convened session:

26. Mountain Commons: Historical development, transformations and new forms of Commons in Mountain Regions

Conveners: Emmanuel Reynard, Jeanne Fournier, Iago Otero, Carolina Adler, Glenn Hunt, Elisa Frank

Interdisciplinary Centre for Mountain Research, University of Lausanne
Mountain Research Initiative
Forum Landscape, Alps, Parks, Swiss Academy of Sciences

Session Programme and Highlights

The Mountain Commons symposium will take place on throughout the day on Saturday, from 09:00 to 17:00, bringing together researchers from across disciplines and mountain regions to explore the evolving role of collective resource governance in mountain social-ecological systems.

The programme features 17 oral presentations and two posters, with contributions examining historical, transformed and emerging commons across the European Alps, Himalayas, Caucasus, Karakoram and Andes.

Presentations will explore a diverse range of topics, including:

• Historical and transformed commons in the Swiss Alps, with contributions from Emmanuel Reynard, Tobias Haller and colleagues examining the evolution of collective institutions and resource management practices.
• Disaster risk and community resilience in the Himalayas, including research on glacial lake outburst flood preparedness in Bhutan and community-based landslide early warning in Nepal.
• Customary governance and shifting cultivation, with MRI’s Glenn Hunt examining institutional transformations associated with commercial agriculture in the Naga Hills of Myanmar and Nagaland.
• Changing mountain commons in the Caucasus and Karakoram, including contributions on traditional resource governance in Georgia and the erosion of commons in the Karakoram.
• Alpine pastoralism and environmental change, exploring the transformation of agricultural commons, pastoral livelihoods and institutional responses to the return of wolves in Switzerland.
• Water governance and cultural heritage, including research on collective irrigation systems, mountain springs and the Andean Road System.

The symposium will provide an opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange on how collective institutions are responding to changing environmental conditions, economic pressures and societal needs, and what these transformations mean for the future of mountain regions.

Session 26: Mountain Commons
Date: Saturday, 21 November 2026
Time: 09:00–17:00
Location: Fribourg, Switzerland

Registration deadline: 30 October 2026.

Full details of all sessions can be found on the 24th Swiss Geoscience Meeting website.

---

^{Cover image: Aescher-Wildkirchli guesthouse tucked into the side of a mountain in the Appenzell district of Switzerland. Image credit: Patrick Robert Doyle.}