Summer schools equip young professionals for cryosphere fieldwork in Central Asia

This June, cryosphere specialists from across Central Asia had hands-on training in glacier and permafrost research in summer schools in the Ile-Alatau mountains of Kazakhstan. These schools are part of the GEF–UNDP–UNESCO project “Strengthening the Resilience of Central Asian Countries by Enabling Regional Cooperation to Assess Glacio-nival Systems to Develop Integrated Methods for Sustainable Development and Adaptation to Climate Change.”

Hosted by the University of Fribourg, the summer programme is designed to strengthen regional capacity to monitor and respond to the impacts of climate change on glaciers, snow cover, and permafrost.

The first school opened at the Tuyuksu Glacier Station, offering training in health and safety for high-altitude environments. Led by Dr Barbara Weith and Dr Louis Marxer, both medical doctors, and mountain guide and rescue expert Christophe Berclaz, the course covered essential field survival skills like trauma response, cold exposure treatment, and improvised rescue techniques such as fracture management and stretcher assembly using basic field gear.

“I’ve been doing this work for a long time, and I’ve seen that most accidents happen simply because people are in the field without enough knowledge. With basic training, they’re often better equipped to respond. When we talk about mountain medicine, people often think it requires a lot of equipment, but in reality, you can do a great deal with very little. That’s our aim today: to share this knowledge with specialists in Central Asia.”
Christophe Berclaz, mountain guide and rescue expert, summer school trainer.

The training continued with a two-day glacier safety module focused on crevasse rescue and safe glacier travel. Participants were trained in the use of crampons, ice axes, and rope systems. The second school, held from June 17 to 22, provided hands-on training in glacier mass balance monitoring. 

From June 23 to 27, the third school relocated to Zhosaly Kezen Pass for an introduction to permafrost monitoring. Led by experts from the University of Fribourg, the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere Project, and the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre, participants applied geophysical methods to investigate permafrost layers invisible to the eye but highly sensitive to climate warming. The curriculum combined theoretical lectures, field data collection (including electrical resistivity and seismic surveys), and hands-on data processing.

This capacity-building initiative aligns with the broader goal of the GEF–UNDP–UNESCO cryosphere project: by preparing researchers for safe and effective fieldwork in some of the region’s most challenging environments, the project is cultivating a new generation of cryosphere experts.

About the project

This is part of a larger initiative, “Strengthening the resilience of Central Asian countries by enabling regional cooperation to assess glacio-nival systems to develop integrated methods for sustainable development and adaptation to climate change." The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP and implemented by UNESCO, aims to address the region’s critical environmental challenge: the degradation of snow, glacier, and permafrost systems (glacio-nival systems), which are vital sources of water for Central Asian countries. These systems play a crucial role in supporting agriculture, energy, and everyday water supply, making their preservation essential for the livelihoods of millions.

By fostering regional cooperation, the project encourages Central Asian nations to develop joint strategies for managing and protecting their shared water resources, especially as climate change continues to threaten the stability of these glacio-nival systems. The outcomes of this workshop will contribute to broader regional strategies, aiding countries in adapting to future changes in the cryosphere and enhancing their resilience to climate impacts.

For more information on the project, please contact the Project Manager, Nana Baramidze (n.baramidze@unesco.org), and visit the project page on iwlearn.net.

Words and photos by Cryosphere Project.