POSTPONEMENT OF 34^th IGC 2021 İSTANBUL

Dear Colleagues

Following the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and its current trajectory, it has become clear that it will not be possible to hold the 34^th International Geographical Congress in İstanbul in August this year as originally planned. Today, the Local Organising Committee and the IGU Executive Committee have taken the decision that the IGU Congress in İstanbul is postponed for one year. We are aware that this decision has many consequences, but the very real health risks and the capacity to travel for the Congress participants leave us with no other alternative.

The İstanbul congress will now take place from August 16^th to 20^th 2021. All registration fees received, abstracts accepted, travel grants awarded, and the conference programme already developed for this year will be carried over to 2021. Any delegate who has already paid the registration fee may use that fee to participate in the Congress in August 2021 and, if desired, submit a new paper for the August 2021 Congress.

On behalf of the IGU Executive Committee and the Local Organising Committee, we wish to send our thoughts and best wishes to you all during these difficult times. We know that the coronavirus is affecting many of us across the world and at times like this it is important that we support each other in every way possible.

You may have a number of questions that follow from this decision. In anticipation of these, we are working to provide the answers as soon as possible. Thank you for your ongoing patience as we will need some time to adjust to the new situation.

Yours faithfully

IGC 2021 Congress Chairman, Barbaros Gönençgil on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee
IGU President Yukio Himiyama on behalf of the IGU Executive Committee