Norway has been selected to host the International Coordination Office for the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY-5), marking an important milestone in preparations for one of the world’s largest international scientific collaborations. While the initiative focuses on the Arctic and Antarctic, its ambitions extend far beyond the poles, offering significant opportunities to advance mountain research, strengthen observing systems, and foster collaboration across the world’s cold regions. 

The Fifth International Polar Year, taking place 2032-2033, will bring together scientists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, governments, and international organisations to advance understanding of rapid environmental change in the polar regions and its global consequences. Announced in August 2026, the new International Coordination Office will be based in Tromsø, Norway, and led by UiT – The Arctic University of Norway in partnership with the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Korea Polar Research Institute, and the Chilean Antarctic Institute. With a budget of USD 10 million over nine years, beginning in January 2027, the office will coordinate international activities, support scientific collaboration, and facilitate participation in IPY-5. 

Jointly sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and the International Science Council (ISC), IPY-5 aims to transform our ability to observe, understand, and anticipate environmental change. Its priorities include strengthening observing systems, improving data sharing, integrating diverse knowledge systems, and ensuring that scientific advances support more resilient communities and societies. 

Connecting Polar and Mountain Research 

Although IPY-5 is centred on the Arctic and Antarctic, many of its scientific priorities are equally relevant to mountain regions. Like the poles, high mountains are experiencing profound changes in snow, glaciers, and permafrost, with far-reaching consequences for water resources, ecosystems, natural hazards, and communities. Both environments also present considerable challenges for environmental monitoring, including complex terrain, limited observational coverage, and fragmented data systems. Advances in satellite observations, modelling, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure anticipated through IPY-5 could therefore offer valuable insights and transferable approaches for mountain research. 

Strengthening the interoperability of environmental data, or the ability to combine and use observations collected by different institutions and monitoring systems, is a particularly important shared objective. It has long been a priority for the mountain research community, including through the work of the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) and the MRI co-led GEO Mountains. 

These connections are increasingly reflected in international scientific cooperation. At its 80th session in 2026, the WMO Executive Council adopted a resolution supporting stronger integrated observations, open data exchange, research, and operational services in both polar and high-mountain regions, contributing to preparations for IPY-5 and the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025-2034). 

The resolution recognises the importance of improving observations in data-sparse regions and encouraging international funding for cryosphere-related activities. For the MRI, which formalised its collaboration with the WMO through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2025, these developments offer further opportunities to connect mountain research priorities with broader international observing and scientific cooperation efforts. 

Building on MRI Contributions 

The MRI’s Working Groups on Mountain Observatories and Elevation-Dependent Climate Change (EDCC), alongside GEO Mountains, have made important contributions to understanding mountain climate change, identifying observational gaps, and advancing more coordinated approaches to environmental monitoring. 

These contributions are also highlighted in a recently published EGUsphere preprint, Improving Access and Interoperability of Cryospheric Data Across Research and Operations, co-authored by MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler, Mountain Observatories Working Group Lead Maria Shahgedanova, and former MRI Science Leadership Council member Shawn Marshall. 

The paper calls for stronger collaboration between research institutions and operational agencies, improved data standards, and long-term preservation of cryospheric observations. Its recommendations closely align with the ambitions of IPY-5 and underline the potential benefits of bringing the polar and mountain research communities closer together.

New Opportunities for International Collaboration 

Beyond scientific and technical cooperation, preparations for IPY-5 are also opening potential avenues for research partnerships and funding. As an Associate Partner of the Belmont Forum, the MRI participated in an informal meeting on 7 October 2026 with the Arctic Science Funders Forum and philanthropic organisations collaborating with IPY-5. Discussions explored opportunities for cooperation and resource mobilisation in connection with the Belmont Forum’s forthcoming POLAR Collaborative Research Action (CRA). 

Previously known as Arctic 3, the CRA has expanded its geographical scope to include Antarctica and mountain regions, recognising the potential for exchanging scientific knowledge and approaches across cold environments. Expected in 2027, the POLAR CRA aims to support inter- and transdisciplinary research on environmental and societal change, including collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. It also seeks to contribute to IPY-5 and complementary international initiatives, including the UN Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences. 

The MRI will continue to explore how it might contribute to this emerging initiative and help facilitate opportunities for the wider mountain research community. 

Looking Ahead: A Shared Scientific Agenda 

The establishment of the IPY-5 International Coordination Office represents an important step towards a new period of international scientific cooperation. For mountain researchers, the coming years offer opportunities to build stronger connections with polar science, contribute expertise from high-mountain environments, and benefit from advances in monitoring, data integration, and interdisciplinary research. 

As preparations accelerate towards 2032-2033, ensuring that mountain perspectives are represented in these wider scientific conversations could help strengthen the lasting legacy of IPY-5, extending its benefits from the polar regions to mountains and the communities that depend on them. 

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 Further Information 

• Fifth International Polar Year: International Coordination Office announcement 
• WMO: One Step Closer to the Fifth International Polar Year 
• The MRI and WMO Strengthen Collaboration 
• Belmont Forum: POLAR Collaborative Research Action 
• Connecting the Dots: New Preprint Promotes Better Access to Cryosphere Data 

_{Cover image by Annie Spratt.}