Awareness-Raising Event on Mount Erciyes, Commemorating the 2025 International Year for the Conservation of Glaciers.

As Murat Kantarcı Science and Art Center, we will be organizing a special event on Mount Erciyes, hosted by Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Erciyes Inc., as part of International Mountain Day, observed annually on December 11th, to raise awareness of the importance of mountains to life. This awareness-raising event will be held in conjunction with the 2025 International Year for the Conservation of Glaciers, declared by the United Nations General Assembly.

Main Focus in 2025: Glaciers

The proposed theme for International Mountain Day 2025 is "Glaciers are crucial for water, food, and livelihoods in the mountains and beyond." This year, the theme aims to foster global cooperation, strengthen scientific research, and support policies and actions to protect glaciers and cryospheric systems. Mountains are making a significant contribution to the International Year of Glacier Conservation, which emphasizes the necessity of protecting glaciers, the lifeblood of our planet's ecosystems and communities.

The Importance of Mountains and Glaciers in Our Lives

Mountains are often referred to as the world's water towers. Approximately 70 percent of the Earth's freshwater exists as snow or ice, and runoff from glaciers is vital for drinking water, agriculture, biodiversity, industry, and hydropower. More than 2 billion people depend on glaciers and snowmelt for freshwater, including food security, livelihoods, and cultural needs.

However, these critical components are undergoing accelerating and alarming transformations. Accelerated glacier melt caused by rising global temperatures represents not only an environmental crisis but also a humanitarian crisis that threatens agriculture, water security, and the lives of billions of people. Rapidly melting glaciers: It increases hazards such as floods, glacial lake outbursts, and landslides, putting downstream populations and critical infrastructure at risk. Furthermore, for Indigenous Peoples, the disappearance of glaciers means a loss of identity and connection to nature.

Awareness and Call to Action

The goal is to ensure the preservation of biodiversity, which plays a crucial role in sustainable development in mountain regions worldwide (Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Terrestrial, Goal 4).

With the event we will hold on Mount Erciyes, we aim to encourage students and the community to take collective action. The prominent calls to action in this context are:

* Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is critical for climate stabilization and protecting glaciers.
* Young people can drive collective action and guide policies for protected areas by combining Indigenous knowledge with science.

* Our students can participate in social media conversations using the hashtag #MountainsMatter and #MountainsImportant, and organize or participate in events celebrating glaciers and mountains.

This event will emphasize our shared responsibility to protect these ancient ice formations, which are a source of life for billions of people and a witness to Earth's history.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is coordinating the preparation and execution of this event. With this awareness-raising event on Mount Erciyes, our school hopes to contribute to global efforts to protect glaciers for future generations.

International Mountain Day Awareness-Raising Event on Mount Erciyes, Commemorating the 2025 International Year for the Conservation of Glaciers.

11/12/2025 - 11/12/2025
Kayseri, Türkiye