{"id":3249,"date":"2026-02-05T13:06:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T13:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/codata.org\/blog\/?p=3249"},"modified":"2026-02-05T13:08:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T13:08:11","slug":"towards-a-data-strategy-for-the-fifth-international-polar-year-ipy5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/codata.org\/blog\/2026\/02\/05\/towards-a-data-strategy-for-the-fifth-international-polar-year-ipy5\/","title":{"rendered":"Towards a data strategy for the Fifth International Polar Year (IPY5)"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I wrote this during the week of the solstice, the sun never set at the South Pole, and it never rose at the North Pole. That difference \u2013 the tilt of the Earth relative to the sun\u00a0 \u2013\u00a0 drives the climate system. It gives us the seasons and the temperature differences that move the atmosphere and ocean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The poles are also bellwethers of change. Glaciers, ice sheets, and sea ice are rapidly receding. Ground frozen for millenia is thawing and buckling. Coasts are flooding. People are displaced, and species are dying.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the poles is critical to understanding the Earth, but it is difficult to study a place that is often dark, cloudy, and frozen. Studying the poles requires coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n

Initially, Western study of the poles was more about heroic exploration and conquest rather than scientific understanding. Then in 1875, one of those heroic explorers, Karl Weyprecht of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, realized that they needed to be better about collecting good data, and he proposed an internationally coordinated program of scientific observations. This ultimately led to the first International Polar Year (IPY) in 1882-83.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, there have been three more International Polar Years in 1932, 1957, and 2007. Each of these marked a milestone in scientific coordination <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>data stewardship. IPY1 established meteorological stations that still collect ongoing records today. IPY2 established more stations and made major advances in radio science but also highlighted the vulnerability of data during major social upheaval (World War II). IPY3, the International Geophysical Year, launched the modern scientific era and established the World Data Centers to share scientific data across geopolitical divides. IPY4 made real the nascent concepts of ethically open data policy, federated data search, and respectful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, as the timeline below illustrates, IPY has been intertwined with the roots of international scientific organizations and data systems.<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Now we plan IPY5 (2032-33). What advances will it bring? CODATA has a keen interest in ensuring that IPY5 is a success and marks another step forward in data stewardship. We believe that with adequate resources, the data stewardship community should be able to support major international science initiatives almost as a matter of course. We know how to do this, and at the same time we can take advantage of modern technologies and what we have learned to accelerate Earth system science understanding even more.<\/span><\/p>\n

The purpose of IPY5 is to unite scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders to advance polar research and produce actionable insights for mitigating and adapting to environmental changes, while promoting international collaboration and inclusivity. It is based on seven core principles (with items of direct relevance to the data community highlighted here):<\/span><\/p>\n