International Union of Speleology (UIS)

The ”Union Internationale de Spéléologie” (UIS) is the principal global organization promoting and advancing the scientific study and exploration of caves and karst features. The UIS was founded in 1965 to institutionalize cooperation between cave and karst researchers on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and has developed into a dynamic scientific organization with around 60 member countries and numerous associated organizations worldwide. The UIS has been registered in Slovenia since 2002 and has its permanent headquarters at the Karst Research Institute ZRC SAZU in Postojna, Slovenia. It unites researchers and cave explorers, i.e. speleologists, from various fields of scientific practice for inter- and multidisciplinary studies.

Karst landscapes cover around 20% of the earth’s dry surface and contribute up to 25% of the world’s drinking water supply. Caves are found in karst rocks (mostly limestones, evaporites) and basalts, as well as in the ice of glaciers, in all climatic zones, i.e. in most countries of the world. Their exploration, documentation, and protection are of global importance.

Since 1953, a selected member country has organized the International Congresses of Speleology (ICS) every four years and publishes the multi-volume proceedings of these events. These events bring together speleologists from all over the world to exchange information and establish contacts. The UIS also maintains about 20 scientific commissions (e.g., for geomorphology, cartography, biology, or informatics) and conducts long-term projects, such as bibliography, standardization, and digitization. Many of the UIS commissions regularly organize international conferences or workshops on specific topics. UIS also sponsors international and national scientific conferences and other meetings, such as the International Karst School “Classical Karst”.

In addition to research, the protection and conservation of caves and karst environments is a central concern of UIS. To this end, UIS cooperates with UNESCO, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Show Caves Association (ISCA), the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Karst Commission, the International Geographic Union (IGU) Karst Commission, Bat Conservation International, and others. Furthermore, UIS partners with the Standing Committee on Gender Equality in Science (SCGES). UIS is also linked to national organizations (e.g., academies of science, universities, research institutes) and other international geoscience associations working on similar topics. The UIS maintains close relations with other international and regional speleological organizations specializing in specific geographical areas, such as the European Speleological Federation, the Asian Union of Speleology, and the Balkan Speleological Union.

UIS publishes the International Journal of Speleology (Earth-Surface Processes, Q2; Geology, Q2), the biannual UIS Bulletin, and the Speleological Abstracts. Twice a year, it awards small grants for scientific fieldwork and conferences based on international calls for proposals or supports individual projects at the request of one of its scientific commissions. Every four years, prizes are awarded at the ICS for outstanding research achievements, publications, and posters.

In 2021/2022, the UIS organized the International Year of Caves and Karst. Under the motto “Explore – Understand – Protect”, member and partners organizations from all over the world informed the public in more than 1,200 individual events about the global significance of karst and caves: as ecological habitats, as drinking water resources, as places of origin of human culture, and as archaeological-paleontological sites.

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