The 16th DACH Permafrost Conference was held from 21–24 January 2026 at the HVHS am Seddiner See near Potsdam, Germany. This international meeting serves as the central forum of the DACH Permafrost Union, a permanent working group of the German Society for Polar Research, and brings together researchers working on polar and mountain permafrost from Germany (D), Austria (A), Switzerland (CH), and beyond. In 2026, participants also joined from Sweden, the Czech Republic, Belgium, France, and Finland, highlighting the conference’s growing international reach. The meeting provides a key platform for scientific exchange across disciplines and career stages, from students and early-career scientists to established researchers.
Over four days, 101 participants engaged in a diverse and lively scientific programme addressing key challenges in contemporary permafrost research. Topics included permafrost thaw and its implications for greenhouse gas emissions, geomorphological and infrastructure-related hazards, ecosystem and carbon-cycle feedbacks, as well as advances in monitoring, modelling, and observational networks. The programme featured keynote lectures, oral and poster sessions, and ample opportunities for discussion and networking.
The conference was complemented by several pre-conference and side activities, including the PermaCOST workshop, a PYRN-DACH–organised Early Career Researcher (ECR) workshop, and a GTN-P workshop. These events provided focused forums for collaboration, methodological exchange, and capacity building, underlining the strong commitment of the DACH Permafrost community to fostering international collaboration and supporting the next generation of permafrost scientists.
Beyond its scientific scope, the DACH Permafrost Conference continues to play an important role in strengthening European permafrost research networks and promoting inclusive participation across institutions, disciplines, and career stages. The Book of Abstracts is openly available (link).
The DACH Permafrost community looks forward to continuing this exchange at the next conference, planned for 2027 in northern Germany, and warmly welcomes continued engagement from the international permafrost community. To stay connected, interested colleagues are invited to subscribe to the moderated DACH Permafrost Union mailing list:
http://mailinglist.dach-permafrost-union.org
Provided by Jens Strauss on behalf of the Local Organising Committee and the DACH Permafrost Union Steering Committee.
