Published
37 minutes ago
on
March 14, 2026
| 1,209 views
-->
By
Cody Good
Graphics & Design
- Jennifer West
The following content is sponsored by Dubai Future Forum
From Ice to Insights: Exploring the Future of Polar Regions
Key Takeaways
- Eight of the 10 worst years for glacier loss have happened since 2010.
- Between 2016-2022, nearly $4 billion funded over 11,000 research projects in the Arctic.
Polar regions are central to Earth’s climate system, sea levels, and future resilience. How is research and innovation at the ends of the Earth shaping the center of tomorrow?
In partnership with Dubai Future Forum, the world’s largest gathering of futurists taking place every November in Dubai, this graphic shows how research, investment, and innovation are converging to transform our understanding of land, but more specifically, polar regions.
It’s one of four dimensions—Ocean, Mind, Space, and Land—within the Dubai Future Forum’s larger theme, Exploring the Unknown.
The data comes from these sources:
- COMNAP
- UArctic
- World Glacier Monitoring Service
- The Global 50 Report by Dubai Future Foundation.
Frozen Frontiers of Knowledge
The polar regions are some of Earth’s most important observation posts. Where do the growing number of researchers go to brave the elements in the name of science?
In the Northern Arctic, the University of the Arctic began in 2001, though member institutions of UArctic established deep northern research roots decades earlier.
At the south pole, Antarctic research bases first date back to the late 19th century with the Southern Cross Expedition. Today, there are over 100 facilities constructed across the continent.
Here is a table list of the largest facilities, based on peak population, for each signatory country of the Antarctic Treaty:
| English Name | Primary Operating Country | Seasonality | Peak Population | Year Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marambio Antartic Base | Argentina | Year-Round | 165 | 1969 |
| Casey | Australia | Year-Round | 120 | 1969 |
| Comandante Ferraz | Brazil | Year-Round | 64 | 1984 |
| President Eduardo Frei Antarctic Base | Chile | Year-Round | 150 | 1969 |
| Zhongshan | China | Year-Round | 64 | 1989 |
| Johann Gregor Mendel Czech Antarctic Station | Czech Republic | Seasonal | 20 | 2006 |
| Pedro Vicente Maldonado | Ecuador | Seasonal | 34 | 1990 |
| Dumont d'Urville | France | Year-Round | 90 | 1956 |
| Neumayer III | Germany | Year-Round | 60 | 2009 |
| Maitri | India | Year-Round | 65 | 1989 |
| Mario Zucchelli | Italy | Seasonal | 112 | 1986 |
| Syowa | Japan | Year-Round | 170 | 1957 |
| Dirck Gerritsz Laboratory | Netherlands | Seasonal | 10 | 2013 |
| Scott Base | New Zealand | Year-Round | 86 | 1957 |
| Troll Station | Norway | Year-Round | 80 | 1990 |
| Machu Picchu | Peru | Seasonal | 30 | 1989 |
| Henryk Arctowski | Poland | Year-Round | 40 | 1977 |
| Mountain Evening | Republic of Belarus | Seasonal | 12 | 2016 |
| Jang Bogo | Republic of Korea | Year-Round | 80 | 2014 |
| Novolazarevskaya | Russia | Year-Round | 70 | 1961 |
| SANAE IV | South Africa | Year-Round | 80 | 1997 |
| Juan Carlos I | Spain | Seasonal | 50 | 1988 |
| Wasa | Sweden | Seasonal | 10 | 1988 |
| Vernadsky | Ukraine | Year-Round | 24 | 1996 |
| Rothera | United Kingdom | Year-Round | 136 | 1975 |
| McMurdo | United States | Year-Round | 1,200 | 1956 |
| Artigas | Uruguay | Year-Round | 50 | 1984 |
The continued expansion of research of the polar regions provides humanity with the opportunity to spot the earliest signs of planetary change.
Global Glacier Mass Change
One of the clearest indicators of planetary change is the rise and fall of glacier mass over time. Organizations like the World Glacier Monitoring Service collects measurements to track the evolution of reference glaciers across the globe annually.
Beginning in 1950, here is the annual mass change of global glaciers over time:
| Year | Annual Mass Change |
|---|---|
| 1950 | -1141 |
| 1951 | -344 |
| 1952 | -561 |
| 1953 | -561 |
| 1954 | -420 |
| 1955 | 372 |
| 1956 | -160 |
| 1957 | -94 |
| 1958 | -868 |
| 1959 | -468 |
| 1960 | -577 |
| 1961 | -437 |
| 1962 | -203 |
| 1963 | -352 |
| 1964 | 319 |
| 1965 | 159 |
| 1966 | -225 |
| 1967 | -118 |
| 1968 | -70 |
| 1969 | -488 |
| 1970 | -287 |
| 1971 | -231 |
| 1972 | -279 |
| 1973 | -177 |
| 1974 | -187 |
| 1975 | -225 |
| 1976 | -182 |
| 1977 | -256 |
| 1978 | -187 |
| 1979 | -417 |
| 1980 | -123 |
| 1981 | -190 |
| 1982 | -487 |
| 1983 | 128 |
| 1984 | -259 |
| 1985 | -307 |
| 1986 | -481 |
| 1987 | 96 |
| 1988 | -74 |
| 1989 | -228 |
| 1990 | -484 |
| 1991 | -503 |
| 1992 | -116 |
| 1993 | -132 |
| 1994 | -531 |
| 1995 | -459 |
| 1996 | -473 |
| 1997 | -640 |
| 1998 | -722 |
| 1999 | -698 |
| 2000 | -359 |
| 2001 | -270 |
| 2002 | -428 |
| 2003 | -524 |
| 2004 | -731 |
| 2005 | -816 |
| 2006 | -714 |
| 2007 | -539 |
| 2008 | -375 |
| 2009 | -452 |
| 2010 | -873 |
| 2011 | -737 |
| 2012 | -724 |
| 2013 | -711 |
| 2014 | -709 |
| 2015 | -805 |
| 2016 | -987 |
| 2017 | -666 |
| 2018 | -937 |
| 2019 | -993 |
| 2020 | -883 |
| 2021 | -676 |
| 2022 | -1089 |
| 2023 | -1253 |
| 2024 | -1298 |
With the exception of a few select years, glaciers have lost mass continuously since measuring began. Notably, eight of the 10 worst years for glacier ices loss have happened since 2010.
The Arctic: Laboratory for the Future
The northern polar region is becoming a living laboratory for environmental research, sustainability innovation, and interdisciplinary cooperation.
Unlike its southern counterpart, Antarctica, with its fragmented government led programmes, Arctic research is led by local communities and universities are far more transparent in their polar science.
For a clear look at research efforts, here is a table listing the number of projects and funding amounts based on country:
| Country | # of Projects | Funding Amount ($US Million) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 3,157 | 352 | |
| United States | 2,567 | 1,798 | |
| Russia* | 1,642 | N/A | No funding amount reported. |
| Norway** | 1,386 | 593 | Partial funding reported, missing Norway Regional Health Authority. |
| EU** | 1,159 | 996 | Partial funding reported, missing Germany reporting. |
| UK | 449 | 154 | |
| Japan | 404 | 48 | |
| China | 260 | 29 | |
| Total | 11,024 | 3,970 |
Polar research is not just constrained to northern countries. With the recent launch of the Emirates Polar Program and the Polar Research Center, the UAE is stepping onto the global stage as an emerging polar research nation.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Polar Regions
The future of the world’s polar regions will depend on deeper research and global action with innovations in areas like sensor monitoring networks supporting that mission.
To continue exploring the polar regions and the biggest emerging opportunities shaping the future, read the Dubai Future Foundation’s Global 50 report.
Learn more about the Dubai Future Forum.
You may also like
-
Space1 week ago
Visualized: Exploring Space and Humanity’s Future
Exploring space with opportunities shaping the future through discovery, investment, and innovation with the Dubai Future Foundation.
-
Technology2 weeks ago
Visualized: Exploring the Future of the Mind
Exploring the Mind: opportunities that could shape the future through discovery, investment, and innovation with the Dubai Future Foundation.
-
Technology3 weeks ago
Visualized: Exploring the Ocean’s Future
Explore ocean opportunities that could shape the future through discovery, investment, and innovation with the Dubai Future Foundation.
Subscribe
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Join 375,000+ email subscribers: *Sign Up