IPY-5: A crucial new phase in organising regular IPYs
IPY-5 (2032–33) will build on four groundbreaking International Polar Years convened between 1882 and 2008:
- IPY-1: 1882–1883
- IPY-2: 1932–1933
- IPY-3 / International Geophysical Year: 1957–1958
- IPY-4: 2007–2008
Together with millennia of Indigenous Peoples' knowledge, these international efforts form a unique long-term record of environmental and societal change across the Arctic and Antarctic.
Today, the polar regions are experiencing some of the most rapid and far-reaching changes on Earth. These changes extend far beyond the poles, influencing climate, sea levels, water security, food systems, biodiversity, economies and human well-being worldwide. At the same time, major uncertainties remain about future impacts, risks and opportunities.
IPY-5 provides a unique opportunity to respond to this challenge through coordinated global action. Across its planning, project, implementation and legacy phases, countries, institutions, networks and communities will work together to strengthen observations, coordinate research and infrastructure, share expertise and develop the knowledge needed to better understand and anticipate Earth-system change.
No single nation, institution or discipline can answer these questions alone. IPY-5 will bring together natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, health sciences, humanities, Indigenous and traditional knowledge systems, governments, industry and policy communities in an internationally coordinated effort.
Meaningful impact will depend on equitable participation and partnerships across disciplines, sectors and knowledge systems. Through knowledge co-production, shared observations and sustained collaboration, IPY-5 will generate trusted knowledge that supports informed decision-making, adaptation, preparedness, risk reduction and sustainable development.
Advances in artificial intelligence, satellite technology, autonomous observing systems, modelling and digital infrastructure also create an unprecedented opportunity to transform our understanding of the polar regions and their connections to the wider Earth system.
The legacy of IPY-5 will extend far beyond 2032–33. Lasting observing systems, international partnerships, scientific capacity and trusted information will continue to support societies in anticipating, understanding and responding to environmental change for generations to come.