The ISC co-leads the 5th International Polar Year (IPY-5) 2032-2033, together with the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the International Arctic Science Committee, and the World Meteorological Organization, as well as other partners including ISC Members and Affiliated Bodies. The 5th IPY extends a 150-year tradition of IPYs into an era of unprecedented change in global and polar systems.
This is a critical decade for people and the planet, as we experience record numbers of extreme events and expect to see more as the climate crisis progresses. Many changes are taking shape faster than previously predicted, and as the IPCC 6th Assessment Report made clear, many of the most serious consequences are linked to unprecedented changes in the Arctic and Antarctic. The urgency of understanding the consequences of such rapid change in the polar regions for global climate, biodiversity and human societies has never been greater.
Bringing together scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, and global stakeholders to produce society- and policy-relevant evidence and insights, IPY-5 will demonstrate the crucial value of international collaboration and inclusivity to address these global challenges. Encompassing planning, project, and legacy phases implemented over a span of ten years, IPY-5 is an opportunity for many countries, institutions, and networks to coordinate their research, observations, protocols, and expeditions in the polar regions.
IPY-5 will bring the longstanding tradition of organizing regular IPYs to an era of urgent need for large-scale coordinated research on polar and global changes. IPY-5 will build on four groundbreaking IPYs between 1883 and 2008, which together form a 150-year-long chain of credible scientific evidence. IPY-3 (the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58) and IPY-4 (2007-8) were co-led by the ISC predecessor, ICSU.
The ISC is a member of the IPY-5 Executive Committee, together with representatives of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); The ISC also is a member of the IPY Planning Group and contributes to the IPY Interim Secretariat.
Conceptual discussions among several polar research and Indigenous Peoples’ Organisations started in 2021. Between 2023-25, a period of broad consultation is being carried out to understand the needs of the relevant stakeholders, including national and international funding bodies to:
The IPY-5 project phase will include the initiation and implementation of IPY initiatives culminating in 2032-33 in a two-year period of intensive polar fieldwork and analysis, modelling efforts and process understanding studies, as well as education and outreach activities. The project phase will connect communities through key polar research initiatives and events including a joint IASC-SCAR Conference 2030, and will engage closely with related regional and global efforts such as the Fourth International Conference on Arctic Research Planning process (ICARP IV), the Antarctic InSync initiative, and relevant UN Decades.
In the years following the 5th IPY, the data collected will continue to be fully utilised and archived. This will involve analysis and synthesis activities, with a focus on knowledge transfer, reporting, and establishment of supporting frameworks for legacy outcomes. In addition, an evaluation of the impact of the 5th IPY will be undertaken at the start of the legacy phase.
For more information and to provide feedback please contact the IPY Secretariat at [email protected].
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