The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), in collaboration with the Canadian Initiative in Support of the United Nations International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, and Guardians of the Ice, is co-hosting two events to launch the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP 2025) in Canada.
The International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2022 during its 77th session, following a resolution proposed by the Republic of Tajikistan and unanimously adopted by Member States. This global initiative aims to raise awareness, advocate for policy change, and promote sustainable actions to preserve glaciers, which are vital to ecosystems, livelihoods, and water security around the world.
Event Highlights
7 - 9 PM, January 24, 2025 – High-Level Launch Event
This exclusive event will bring together UN officials, Canadian dignitaries, initiative partners, and members of the press. Speakers include:
- David Cox, CEO, The Whyte Museum, and Jim Elzinga, Founder and Executive Director, Guardians of the Ice
- Prof. Kaveh Madani, Director, UNU-INWEH
- H.E. Ambassador Hikmat, Permanent Representative of Tajikistan to the United Nations (video)
- Senator Karen Sorensen, Co-Chair, Parliamentary Tourism Caucus, and member of the Standing Senate Committees on Agriculture and Forestry (AGFO) and Indigenous Peoples (APPA)
- Melanie Kwong, Executive Director, Parks Canada
- Dr. Corinne Schuster-Wallace, Executive Director, Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS), University of Saskatchewan
7 - 9 PM, January 25, 2025 – Public Engagement Event
This public event aims to connect local stakeholders and art enthusiasts in Banff, Alberta, fostering conversations around glacier preservation and climate action.
Photography Exhibitions at the Whyte Museum
As part of the celebrations, the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies will host two stunning photography exhibitions:
- MELTDOWN – A Drop in Time
- Etched in Ice – Photographs by Glen Crawford
These exhibitions, featured in the 2025 Exposure Photography Festival, vividly capture the fragile beauty of glaciers, highlighting their vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for action. Through art and photography, they emphasize glaciers’ roles as natural archives of Earth’s history and showcase their alarming transformation.
Both exhibitions will be open to the public at the Whyte Museum until April 13, 2025.
