The UNESCO Chair in Mountain Cryosphere and Water invites researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and knowledge holders to submit abstracts for ICGT 2027. This conference, co-organized by The Small Earth Nepal and UNESCO with Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham serving as academic partners will bring together participants from research, government, civil society, communities, media, development organizations, and the private sector to examine how gender, power, and knowledge shape science and technology for climate resilience.

Conference Focus

Changes in the cryosphere and water systems, and the technologies developed to respond to them, do not affect everyone equally. Gender is one of the key factors that shape how impacts are experienced. In many contexts, women are primary managers of household and community water resources, and they hold detailed local knowledge of water sources, water management, conservation practices and climate adaptation. Yet gendered structures of power often keep this knowledge out of research, leadership and policymaking, so decisions about cryosphere, water and climate technology do not reflect the lived realities of affected communities.

This conference examines the links between gender, knowledge and power in cryosphere, water and climate technology and governance. It follows a chain from gendered exposure and impact to gendered knowledge, to the exclusion of that knowledge from decision-making, and to the policy outcomes that result. It also looks for the participatory and just governance approaches that could change this.

Themes for Submission

We invite abstracts under the following three conference themes.

Theme 1: Gendered impacts of cryosphere and water change, and of climate technologies

How the benefits, burdens, risks and opportunities of cryosphere and water change, and of the technologies developed in response, differ across gender and social groups.

Topics may include:

• water security and risk in glacier- and snow-fed systems, GLOFs, WASH and climate information
• water-linked livelihood and infrastructure technologies, for example irrigation, agriculture and energy that depend on water
• access to finance and digital systems, and the distribution of paid and unpaid work
• gender-inclusive data and communication systems, including AI governance and disaster risk communication

Theme 2: Gendered, Indigenous and local knowledge in cryosphere, water, and climate technology and policy

How gendered, Indigenous and local knowledge of cryosphere and water systems is used, or overlooked, in the design of technologies, early warning systems and adaptation measures, and in water policy decisions, and how formal science can work with this knowledge in respectful, non-extractive ways.

Topics may include:

• how knowledge held by women and communities is recognized or excluded in technology and policy processes
• co-creation, consent and ethical engagement across knowledge systems in technology design and implementation
• women-led community innovation that retains agency and control over its knowledge
• integrating water, climate and ecosystem values into technology and policy

Theme 3: Representation, leadership and participatory governance

Who participates and leads in cryosphere, water and climate governance, and how this shapes which knowledge reaches policy.

Topics may include:

• underrepresentation and tokenism in cryosphere, water and climate institutions, policy processes and finance
• barriers to decision-making power, training, mentoring, and funding for women in cryosphere, water and climate leadership
• pathways for girls, youth and early-career women into cryosphere, water, and climate technology and governance careers
• gender-responsive science, technology and innovation (STI) indicators for cryosphere, water and climate, and their evidence gaps

Submission Criteria

The Conference welcomes contributions from all regions and particularly encourages contributions from researchers and practitioners in the most climate-affected and historically marginalized or geographically underrepresented regions, including the Global South; from Indigenous and local knowledge holders and community-led teams; and from women, youth, researchers with disabilities and gender-diverse researchers.

Abstracts may describe original research, reviews, mini reviews, community case studies, conceptual analyses, policy and practice reviews, perspectives or opinion pieces. Interdisciplinary, comparative and community-engaged research that bridges science, policy, and community practice is particularly encouraged.

Abstract Details

Abstracts must be submitted in English and must not exceed 250 words (excluding title, author details and keywords).

Each abstract should state the research question or objective, methods or approach, key findings or evidence, and relevance to the conference themes and to gender and technology in the context of water, cryosphere or climate resilience.

Include the title, the selected theme(s), author names, affiliations, the corresponding author’s email, and 5 keywords.

Abstracts must be original and not previously published. Work in progress with preliminary results is acceptable.

Each author may submit up to 3 abstracts, but only one can be selected.

Please select your preferred presentation format (oral presentation, poster, or either) via our submission link below:

Submit via: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/tGP1HtiJXN

Review Process

All submissions will undergo review by the Conference Technical Committee for relevance to the conference themes, methodological quality, originality and contribution to gender-responsive innovation. Reviewers will check that research involving communities or Indigenous and local knowledge follows ethical and respectful engagement practices.

Publication

Selected contributions may be invited for publication within Frontiers in Water following the conference. All manuscripts will undergo the journal’s standard peer review, and an invitation to submit does not guarantee acceptance. Details on manuscript requirements and deadlines will be shared with accepted authors, and announced publicly, once confirmed.

Important Dates

• Submit your abstract by 15 December 2026
• Receive notification of acceptance by 10 January 2027
• Present at the conference on 18–19 March 2027

Selected authors will be invited to develop full manuscripts; details to follow

Participation support

Limited scholarships are available for travel and participation support, prioritizing women, youth, Indigenous and local knowledge holders, and participants from climate-affected areas. Details on how to apply will follow.

Contact

For questions regarding abstract submission, please contact: icgt@smallearth.org.np

For queries about the conference, please contact Conference Secretariat, Rahul G. Rajkarnikar: rahul.rajkarnikar@smallearth.org.np