A new article in the Nature Portfolio open access journal Communications Earth & Environment describes a process where decadal reduction in snow precipitation causes glacier mass losses in the Northwestern Pamir Mountains.

This work has been picked up by the Austrian national public broadcaster, with footage from the breathtaking Kyzylsu catchment, Tajikistan https://on.orf.at/video/14290108/15942761/klimawandel-erreicht-gletscher-in-zentralasien (in German).

Swiss Polar Class is a free educational program available to teachers, students, and anyone interested in discovering the polar regions. It is aimed at students aged 8 to 12 and older. Based on the scientific activities of the Swiss Polar Institute, the program develops learning materials on topics related to the Arctic, Antarctic, and high mountain regions. Explore content adapted to the Swiss curricula (in French and German) and dive into the fascinating world of the polar regions.

In collaboration with the GreenFjord team, Swiss Polar Class developed a learning module consiting of videos, podcasts, learning exercises, and much more which is now available online: https://polar-class.ch/de/pamir/

In late June 2025, PAMIR organised a 3-day ‘Health & Safety in the Field’ course followed by a 2-day ‘Technical Glacier’ training for local partners and collaborators and guides of the Adventure of Science Cantral Asia programme. The courses were tought by the Groupe d’Intervention Médicale en Montagne (GRIMM) and took place in the Tuzyuksu glacier station and on Tuyuksu glacier.

The High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation (https://dushanbeicgp2025.com/) took place from 29 to 31 May 2025 in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan, to highlight the vital role of glaciers in maintaining global ecological balance and addressing water-related challenges.

In preparation for the main conference, participants of the PAMIR Project organised a meeting on 27 May, with attendance of representatives from several Institutes of the Academy of Sciences, as well as key governmental agencies (Tajik Hydromet, Committee of Environmental Protection). The PAMIR team presented key project findings and advances to-date and outlined the major objectives for 2025.

During this high-level event, PAMIR colleagues Evan Miles, Martin Hoelzle, Martina Barandun, Tomas Saks, and Joel Fiddes presented in numerous keynotes, sessions, panels, side events and forums, as well as in the “Song of the Glacier” exhibition hosted by the SDC Swiss Cooperation Office in Dushanbe.

Members of the PAMIR team met for a training workshop at the University of Bern and on Breithornplateau to prepare the 2025 field season. Participants learned about operation and maintanace of the FELICS corer which will be used this summer in the Pamirs.