On 20–21 March 2025, the GLOFCA project was represented at the International Scientific and Practical Conference on “Preservation of Glaciers – The Basis for Ensuring Water, Food, Energy, and Environmental Security”, held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

On 21 March 2025, the GLOFCA project was featured during a high-level side event at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Central Asia unites efforts to implement early warning systems against glacier lake outbursts.

Women-Led Expedition Empowers and Educates in Central Asia’s High Mountains In the recent ‘Adventure of Science: Women and Glaciers in Central Asia’ expedition, the focus on climate change adaptation empowered a new generation of young explorers, scientists, and leaders. Hands-On Learning Young participants explored the Kyrgyz Ala Archa National Park, learning about natural hazards like […]

Local Support and Technical Challenges Discussed in Key Stakeholder Meeting In a recent meeting, members of the GLOFCA team, partners, and stakeholders gathered to discuss the development of an Early Warning System (EWS) for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Kyrgyzstan’s Ala-Archa National Park. EWS Progress Shared Laura Niggli and Holger Frey from UZH presented […]

In a recent expedition to the Pamir region, a team of researchers and agencies explored the beauty and hazards of the area, shedding light on crucial findings that have far-reaching implications. Collaborative Research Efforts Collaborative efforts involving the Aga Khan Agency of Habitat (AKAH), Tajik Hydromet, local research institutes, governmental agencies responsible for GLOFs, and […]

Kazakhstan, August 2023  This summer, the Kazakh mountains have witnessed a period of heightened natural hazards, particularly from glacier lakes and slopes near Almaty city. Intense rainfall triggered mudflows that damaged roads and structures, though fortunately, no lives were lost. In a bid to fortify the region against such threats, the GLOFCA team visited Almaty […]

Kazakhstan, July 2022 Kazakhstan’s worldwide recognition for its mudflow research and expertise in managing natural hazards took center stage as the GLOFCA team explored the city of Almaty. The city’s formidable shield against hazards, large dams, impressed the team. The region’s elaborate network of monitoring stations, spread across mountain catchments, was an integral resource for […]

In a significant effort to enhance safety and disaster preparedness in Central Asia, researchers at the University of Zurich (UZH) have planned the work for 2023 under the GLOFCA project, led by UNESCO and funded by Adaptation Fund. The work plan seeks to develop advanced tools, guidance documents, and early warning systems to protect communities […]

On the 7th of April 2022 the GLOFCA Project was presented at the Regional Forum on sustainable development for the UNECE Region, where partnerships to address climate change, extreme events and disaster risk reduction towards sustainable development goals have been discussed. https://regionalforum.unece.org/events/regional-forum-2022 The event was organized by the Regional Office for Europe of the World […]

From left to right: Takir Balykbayev, Zhanna Kurmangaliyeva, Igor Severskiy, and Akhmetkal Medeu  UNESCO Almaty Office would like to congratulate Mr. Takir Balykbayev to his appointment as the Director of the LLP “Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre category 2 under the auspices of UNESCO”. We look forward to further strengthen our cooperation specially in the […]

Press release: Wednesday, 2 March 2022 – The UNESCO Almaty Office and the Kazakh State Institution “Kazselezaschita” are joining forces in a project named “Reducing vulnerabilities of populations in Central Asia region from glacier lake outburst floods in a changing climate” (GLOFCA), funded by the Adaptation Fund. As part of the GLOFCA’s YEAR-1 activities, Kazselezaschita […]