GLOBE News
GLOBE Students Unite Across Five Countries to Explore Wetlands, Water Quality, and Climate Impacts
The 6th Asia-Pacific Virtual Wetland Symposium, held on 17–18 November 2025, brought together 158 students, teachers, and GLOBE community members from across five countries— Thailand, Taiwan, India, Nepal, and Mongolia. Over 2 days, students presented 17 research projects exploring wetlands, water quality, hydrology, biodiversity, soil conditions, and even indoor air quality. Using GLOBE Hydrology protocols, field measurements, and data visualization tools, students investigated challenges in their local environments, from red tide events and invasive plant species to lake restoration and river pollution.
Students from Keelung Municipal Anle Senior High School, Taiwan presented their research motivation on rainfall and topography in Taiwan.
The symposium offered a vibrant space for cross-border learning. Students shared their discoveries, discussed environmental changes in their communities, and demonstrated how GLOBE data empowers them to engage in real scientific inquiry. The event highlighted the growing strength of youth-led citizen science in the region and the collective commitment to understanding and protecting vital ecosystems. Wetlands, rivers, and freshwater ecosystems play a central role in the lives and livelihoods of many Asia-Pacific communities.
Students from Chumphae Suksa School, Thailand, presented their study on water quality and phytoplankton diversity in Khon Kaen Province.
This symposium reflected environmental realities shared across the region and the strong desire among young people to understand and address them. Many of the challenges presented by students—declining water quality, loss of biodiversity, invasive species, pollution, and climate-related changes—are common across the region. By bringing students from different countries together on one platform, the symposium fostered regional collaboration, strengthened scientific skills, and encouraged participants to view environmental issues through both local and regional lenses.
Mongolian students from "New Knowledge" High School presented their analysis of water conditions across the West and Centre of Mongolia.
The event showcased the Asia-Pacific region’s dedication to nurturing young environmental leaders who can think critically, analyze data, and communicate their findings with confidence. Most importantly, it inspired a sense of shared responsibility. When students see that their peers across borders are studying similar problems using the same GLOBE tools, they gain a deeper understanding of how interconnected the ecosystems are—and how collaboration strengthens their ability to care for them.
Opening image, “Kole WetLands, Adat, Thrissur,” courtesy of Manoj K, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
News origin: GLOBE Implementation Office