News Blog

As climate change accelerates and water insecurity grows, the High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, hosted by the Government of Tajikistan with support from the United Nations and international partners - including the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) - emerges as a timely and urgent initiative. The conference, held from 29 to 31 May 2025 in Dushanbe, brought together stakeholders from around the world to address the urgent challenges of glacier retreat. The HSF delegation, representing offices in Tajikistan and Korea, participated alongside regional partners to contribute to the discourse on sustainable solutions for glacier conservation. Organized within the framework of the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, this landmark event aimed to raise awareness, foster international collaboration, and promote coordinated responses to...

As Bolivia approaches a decisive electoral period and the global community advances toward COP30, the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSS), in collaboration with its national partner Plataforma Boliviana Frente al Cambio Climático (PBFCC), hosted the “Encuentro Nacional de la PBFCC para el Posicionamiento de la Sociedad Civil” on May 19–20, 2025, in Cochabamba. The event was part of the HSS-funded “Klima” project, which supports environmental and climate-focused civil society organizations across Bolivia. The broader initiative aims to strengthen Bolivia’s national civil society climate network through strategic workshops, dialogues, and joint initiatives that empower local actors and enhance their presence in national and international climate processes. The Cochabamba meeting gathered over 50 representatives from civil society organizations across Bolivia’s nine departments to draft...

On 14 April 2025, Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi met with Mr. Kirom Salohiddin, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to the Republic of Korea, at the Embassy in Seoul. The meeting focused on key issues including biodiversity conservation in glacier regions, the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s GMACC activities, and water-related challenges in Tajikistan. Additionally, the HSF delegation will participate in the upcoming High-Level International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, to be held in Tajikistan in May, to continue and deepen discussions on these topics.

The escalating impacts of climate change, driven by human activities, continue to threaten lives, devastate ecosystems, and contribute to rising sea levels. In response, the Mid-Latitude Region and Third Pole Experts Group Meeting (EGM) convened from 18 to 23 December 2024 to explore sustainable solutions, address policy gaps, and foster community engagement in adaptation and mitigation strategies. Dr. Bernhard Seliger, Representative of HSF Korea, and Dr. Hyun-Ah Choi, Senior Researcher at HSF Korea, participated in the EGM to strengthen collaborative efforts. On the first day, Dr Seliger met with Her Majesty Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, Founding President of the Tarayana Foundation, introduced HSF Korea's activity and exchanged insights with the delegation from Nepal, Mongolia, RO Korea, and Bhutan. During...

End of November, the MENA environment and climate strategy was discussed with various stakeholders from civil society  of Egypt at round table discussion in Cairo. The event's primary mission was to foster synergy between Egypt's national environmental policies and the collective vision for ecological resilience. Through a series of discussions and collaborative exchanges, partners worked to delineate strategic directives that resonate with the pressing environmental imperatives of our times. The event provide a platform align with HSF MENA climate strategy for the partners to do progression towards a sustainable future, laying down a framework for impactful action within Egypt's environmental sector.