The IGU Regional Conference 2026 (IRC 2026) will be held in Istanbul, Turkey from August 17 to 21, 2026. Abstract submission is now officially open for the special session “Climate Change and Transcontinental Exchange: Drivers of Civilizational Dynamics Across the Silk Road”. We sincerely invite scholars from relevant fields to submit their latest research findings and join us in exploring the long-term evolution and contemporary implications of human-environment interactions along the Silk Road.
Session Title:
Climate Change and Transcontinental Exchange: Drivers of Civilizational Dynamics Across the Silk Road
Deadline for submitting abstracts for papers and posters：
Istanbul Time (GMT+3): 23:59, Friday, 9 January 2026
Beijing Time (GMT+8): 04:59, Saturday, 10 January 2026
Notification of results of abstract reviews:
February 27, 2026 (Friday)
Abstract Submission Link:
https://www.irc2026.org/en/ABSTRACT-SUBMISSION.html
Background:
In August 2024, the International Geographical Union (IGU) officially approved the establishment of the “Commission on Silk Road Civilizations and Environments,” initiated by CAS Academician Fahu Chen, Chair of the ATES. The commission aims to advance research on how climatic and environmental changes have influenced population migration, early agricultural and pastoral development, cultural and societal dynamics, and the evolution of civilizations along the Silk Road. By examining long-term climatic, environmental, historical, cultural, and socioeconomic changes across the Silk Road region, the commission seeks to provide new perspectives and scientific insights to support climate-change adaptation in countries and regions along the route.
This conference is organized by the “Commission on Silk Road Civilizations and Environments”. Through interdisciplinary integration across the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, we aim to reveal the coupled relationships between environmental change and human activities along the Silk Road. Scholars from geography, climate science, archaeology, geology, anthropology, history, remote sensing, and data science will be brought together to foster new perspectives, methodological innovation, and collaborative frameworks. Efforts will also be made to promote the development of shared datasets and comparative research platforms to advance future scholarship in this field.
We warmly welcome researchers from around the world who are interested in Silk Road civilizations, environmental change, and transcontinental interactions to submit their work and join the discussion.
