The 2025 Annual Cryospheric Science Workshop was successfully convened in Lingshui, Hainan, China, from March 29 to 30, 2026. It was co-organized by the China Society of Cryospheric Science (CSCS), the China National Committee for the International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (CNC-IACS), the IGU Commission on Cold and High Altitude Regions (CHAR), the Commission on Cryospheric Science and Sustainable Development of the Geographical Society of China, and the Cryosphere Digital Twin for Climate Action and Sustainable Development (CryoTwin) Programme. More than 280 experts and scholars attended the workshop, including QIN Dahe, YAO Tandong and WANG Yanfen, academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and FENG Qi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

In response to the initiative of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, this workshop focused on the themes of cryospheric change processes and modeling, cryospheric changes and sustainable development, and cryospheric big data mining and applications. A total of 108 presentations in cryospheric science and interdisciplinary fields showcased new technologies, new methods and the latest research achievements. This workshop provides scientific support for cryospheric science research in addressing climate change and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. During the workshop, Prof. KANG Shichang, chair of the IGU CHAR, delivered a presentation entitled “AI for Cryospheric Science”, in which he discussed the applications and challenges of AI in cryospheric research in polar and high-altitude regions.

Photos from the workshop. Presentation by Prof. KANG Shichang, chair of the IGU CHAR.