Mountain Research Initiative

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Mountain Research Initiative

MRI promotes and coordinates global change research in mountain regions all over the world.

05/06/2026

🧊🤖 Call for Papers: Artificial Intelligence in Glaciology

The International Glaciological Society (IGS) is preparing a special collection of the Annals of Glaciology dedicated to exploring how AI and machine learning are transforming cryospheric science.

Topics include:
❄️ Physics-informed machine learning for ice processes
🛰️ Remote sensing and image analysis for glacier monitoring
🗺️ AI for subglacial and bedrock mapping
🌊 Ice-ocean and climate interactions
📈 Probabilistic projections and model acceleration
💬 AI tools, visualization, and custom LLMs for glaciology

The collection welcomes both methodological advances and real-world applications, from operational monitoring to science communication.

📅 Submissions open: 1 July 2026
⏰️ Manuscript deadline: 1 December 2026

🔗 Learn more: https://buff.ly/6qKeL3h

📸 Photo by Tobias Keller.

04/06/2026

🏔️🌍 What does land degradation look like in mountain regions? The answer is often more complicated than satellite imagery alone can tell us.

During a Group on Earth Observations Symposium community event hosted by GEO Mountains and WOCAT, experts discussed the opportunities and challenges of using Earth Observation to monitor land degradation and restoration in mountain environments.

Key messages included:
🛰️ Mountain terrain presents unique challenges for satellite monitoring
🌱 'Greening' isn't always a sign of ecosystem recovery
🤝 Local and Indigenous knowledge are essential for understanding environmental change
📊 Different datasets can produce very different estimates of degradation

The discussion reinforced the need for integrated approaches that combine satellite observations, field data, and local expertise to better support sustainable land management and restoration in mountain regions.

🔗 Read more: https://geomountains.org/geo-mountains-and-wocat-community-event-explores-challenges-of-monitoring-land-degradation-in-mountain-regions/

04/06/2026

The Extreme Ice Survey, led by James Balog of the Earth Vision Inst...

03/06/2026

🏔️🌿 How can cultural heritage support climate resilience in mountain regions?

Join the free online event Cultural Heritage in the Making: Sharing Perspectives on Mountain Heritage, hosted by the Montage partnership and the UK National Commission for UNESCO.

🌍 The discussion will explore how cultural heritage can support climate resilience and community adaptation in mountain regions, with perspectives from Nepal, Norway, and Scotland. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn more about the Montage project, a new partnership connecting mountain regions and UNESCO Biospheres across these three countries to explore the links between heritage, sustainability, and mountain futures.

🗓️ 5 June 2026
🕤 10:30am-12:30pm CEST
💻 Online
🔗 Reserve your place: https://mountainresearchinitiative.org/events/cultural-heritage-in-the-making-sharing-perspectives-on-mountain-heritage/

📸 Photo by Sushanta Rokka.

03/06/2026

🌍📢 Opportunity to contribute to major global biodiversity assessments.

IPBES has opened the external review of the draft Methodological Assessment on Integrated Biodiversity-Inclusive Spatial Planning and Ecological Connectivity.

🗓️ Review period: 1 June – 26 July 2026

A second review process for the Second Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services will open on 15 June.

Expert reviews play a vital role in ensuring the scientific quality, credibility, and policy relevance of these assessments.

🔗 Learn more and register: https://buff.ly/jL15s2j

📸 Photo by Dulcey Lima

01/06/2026

🔥🏔️ A wildfire that swept through Africa’s Rwenzori Mountains in 2012 was unlike anything seen there in at least 12,000 years.

New research published in Nature reveals that the blaze – which burned high-altitude Afroalpine ecosystems previously thought too cold and wet to sustain fire – was unprecedented in the Holocene epoch.

🧊🌍 The findings raise important questions about the combined impacts of climate change and human activity on mountain ecosystems.

Researchers warn that if fires become more frequent, they could permanently transform these unique “sky island” environments, threatening biodiversity, water regulation, and local communities.

📖 Read more: https://buff.ly/bdK38Ns

📸 Image: A view of the Rwenzori Mountains from Mutinda lookout at approximately 4000m. Image credit: Gareth Bessant.

29/05/2026

🌍🏔️ The May edition of the MRI Newsletter is now available!

This month, we explore how collaboration across disciplines, regions, and scales is helping address some of the most pressing challenges facing mountain regions worldwide. Highlights include:

🔹 MRI Working Groups advancing research on climate change, governance, social-ecological systems, and mountain observatories
🔹 Mountain adaptation and governance discussions at the Mountains Connect Workshop in Bhutan
🔹 MRI-supported sessions at EGU 2026 in Vienna
🔹 New GEO Mountains-supported research from Peru examining the links between glacier retreat, water quality, and human health
🔹 New findings showing that a major wildfire in Africa's Rwenzori Mountains was unprecedented in at least 12,000 years

Plus funding opportunities, events, publications, and news from across the global mountain research community.

📬 Read the newsletter here: https://bit.ly/MRINewsletterMay26

27/05/2026

🏔️🌍 Great to see these important conversations taking place at the Group on Earth Observations Symposium this week!

Mountain regions remain underrepresented in many global Earth Observation datasets, despite their critical importance for water, biodiversity, food security, and climate resilience.

Congratulations to GEO Mountains, WOCAT - World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies, and partners for convening such an engaging discussion on addressing data gaps, strengthening capacity development, and advancing land restoration in mountain regions.

👏 Thanks to all speakers and participants contributing to this important exchange.

27/05/2026

🌎🤝 New funding opportunity for research collaboration between Switzerland and Latin America!

The Swiss Leading House Latin America Consolidation Grant 2026 supports collaborative research projects with a focus on:
• Sustainability & resilience
• Capacity building
• Societal impact
• Long-term international partnerships

The grant is open to researchers from all disciplines and encourages projects that involve local communities and support young researchers.

📅 Applications open until 31 July 2026
💻 Online info session: 9 June 2026
🔗 Find out more: https://mountainresearchinitiative.org/funding-opportunities/swiss-leading-house-latin-america-consolidation-grant-2026/

📸 Photo by Hector Marquez.

26/05/2026

📣 We’re hiring at the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI)! 🏔️🌍

We’re looking for a Scientific Project Officer (0.6 FTE) to support the MRI’s global mountain research coordination and GEO Mountains activities.

✨ This role is ideal for a dynamic 'all-rounder' with experience in project coordination, scientific events, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

📍 Bern, Switzerland
🕒 Temporary 6-month fixed-term contract
📅 Application deadline: 5 June 2026
🔗 More information & apply: https://mountainresearchinitiative.org/jobs/mri-scientific-project-officer-0-6-fte/

If you’re passionate about working at the intersection of science, policy, and collaboration – and supporting a global mountain research network – we’d love to hear from you!

Please share within your networks. 🙏

📸 Image by Fabian Schneider.

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