The aim of this session is to provide a platform for activities of the GEO Work Programme working on polar regions and mountains to exchange and investigate possible synergies, given the many common challenges that are often encountered. The session will include contributions from representatives of Arctic GEOSS and GEO Mountains, as well as those working in the Antarctic and under other mountain programs.
The session is especially timely because 2022 has been declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development (IYM2022). Some of the session will be dedicated to this theme, and a policy brief prepared by GEO Mountains on the current extent of observations in mountains will be presented. The utility of the “Essential Variables” concept in such settings will also be discussed. Complementing this input, Arctic GEOSS will present the Shared Arctic Variables being prepared in Arctic Passion and RNA-CoObs projects along pilot services for sea-ice, wildfires, permafrost, and food security.
Cover image by Hendrik Morkel