3rd ACOP 2026

Name: 3rd ACOP 2026
Start: 2026-06-28T01:00:00Z
End: 2026-07-02T13:00:00Z
Location: MG Ballroom, Galleria Ulaanbaatar

MG Ballroom, Galleria Ulaanbaatar

June 28 to July 2, 2026

Conference Overview

The 3rd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP) 2026, hosted by Institute of Geography and Geoecology of Mongolian Academy of Sciences and Mongolian Permafrost Association, will be held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from June 28 to July 2, 2026.

The Asian continent, the largest in the world, contains the most extensive permafrost areas on the planet. These regions encompass various types of permafrost, including longitudinal, alpine, and plateau permafrost. However, due to ongoing global warming, permafrost across Asia is degrading at different rates, with the most pronounced changes occurring at the marginal zones. The thawing of permafrost presents serious challenges for the global community, including rising greenhouse gas emissions, shrinking surface water in arid zones, and severe impacts on infrastructure built on frozen ground.

ACOP 2026, under the theme “Challenges Posed by Asian Permafrost Thaw to the Global Community”, offers a vital platform for students, researchers, scientists, engineers, and policymakers to share knowledge, build partnerships, and further advance our understanding of permafrost and cold region environments.

ACOP 2026 aims to provide a premier interdisciplinary platform for international researchers, engineers, and practitioners to present and discuss the latest research findings, ideas, developments, and applications in all areas of permafrost science. Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, scientific presentations, and hands-on workshops, participants will explore a wide range of topics including permafrost dynamics, climate-permafrost-ecosystem interactions, infrastructure resilience in permafrost regions, carbon feedbacks, and sustainable development in cold environments.

We look forward to seeing you at the 3rd ACOP 2026, sharing your insights, and engaging in meaningful discussions.

Welcome from the Chair

Dear colleagues,

I cordially invite you to participate in the 3rd Asian Conference on Permafrost (ACOP) 2026 with the title "Challenges Posed by Asian Permafrost Thaw to the Global Community."

Permafrost is a critical component of the Earth's cryosphere which is strongly impacted by the changing climate. Permafrost is interlinked with vegetation, soils and the water cycle, all of which are important natural resources providing ecosystem services for human societies. Therefore, permafrost thaw can result in irreversible consequences on both local and global scales, occurring more rapidly than we anticipated. This is evidently observed in the Asian permafrost region, which comprises the largest permafrost areas world-wide.

By attending the 3rd ACOP in 2026, you will have the opportunity to share your scientific findings on permafrost and its interactions with natural systems and human societies. As the Asian continent encompasses a wide variety of permafrost types, the conference will provide a platform to present and compare research from across the globe, from field observations to remote sensing and model-based studies. The conference will explore the challenges faced in permafrost regions and define future perspectives to support international and governmental policies and programs.

Let us meet in Mongolia—the land of eternal blue sky, a unique cultural heritage - and lots of fascinating permafrost!

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Avirmed Dashtseren