- UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty launches Glacier Lifelines, a VR experience highlighting the impacts of glacier melt in Central Asia
- Developed by Zurich University of the Arts under the Cryosphere Project, the initiative turns scientific glacier research into an immersive learning tool
- The project marks the International Year of Glacier Preservation and the start of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, promoting awareness on climate resilience and water security
Glaciers in Central Asia are melting at a dangerous rate, accelerated by increasing climate change, and pose serious threats to the water systems and livelihoods of the region. Against this background, Glacier Lifelines, a virtual reality experience allowing users to enter into the fragile world of Central Asia's glaciers, has been launched by the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty in order to raise awareness about this urgent issue and to commemorate the International Year of Glacier Preservation.
This event also marks the start of the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, an era of global action to protect and understand Earth's frozen regions. Developed by the Zurich University of the Arts under the regional ‘Cryosphere Project’, Glacier Lifelines was created in the framework of ‘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’ a project financed by the Global Environment Facility through UNDP and executed by UNESCO.
The experience transforms environmental research into an interactive and educational format based on scientific data provided by national partner institutions and the University of Fribourg. The VR expedition consists of four interactive chapters-irrigation, hydropower, glacier monitoring, and disaster risk reduction-each set in real-life locations across Central Asia.
Within these virtual environments, users are able to understand the impact of melting glaciers on agriculture, energy production, and community safety-participating in a variety of simulated tasks that reinforce sustainable solutions. Scientific accuracy and creative storytelling come together in this project aimed at raising awareness about the indispensable role glaciers play in maintaining regional ecosystems and water security.
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To ensure this innovative tool reaches educators and learners across the region, visual designers Noemi Chow and Jonas Christen from ZHdK conducted a practical training at the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty. Participants included representatives from leading universities and academies such as Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov, and Mirzo Ulugbek National University of Uzbekistan.
The training covered the creative process behind the project, technical aspects related to the operation and maintenance of VR, and the integration of immersive technologies into climate education and outreach programs. After the session, virtual reality headsets will be distributed to the participating institutions in order to support climate awareness-raising activities in their respective home countries.
"VR is a great tool for teaching about climate change, as it can bring you to the most remote locations, simulate real or future scenarios, and add interaction and emotion to learning", said Noemi Chow of ZHdK's Department of Design. Online Knowledge Hub supports the Glacier Lifelines experience with detailed insights, data, and background stories; upcoming events will be announced on the Cryosphere Project website.
