International years celebrate and inform the world about important topics, many of which are not known to the general public. Caves and karst occur around our planet but few people understand the great value of caves to humanity. Fewer still know what karst is.

We invite you to learn from this website about how caves and karst challenge but mostly contribute to the lives of billions of people every day. We hope you will then join us in this international year of celebration! To learn how you can get involved with the International Year, as a person or as a group, download the Planning Guide.

The International Year of Caves and Karst is organized by the International Union of Speleology, the worldwide organization of cave and karst explorers, scientists, managers, and educators. We are joined by many national and international organizations, listed in our Partners page.

Explore

Use this website to discover a fascinating world within our world. Explore it through these pages and through links to partner organizations where you can experience caves and karst directly through show caves, parks, and groups that study them.

Understand

Learn if you live in a cave or karst area and how they affect your lives. Are you one of the hundreds of millions of people whose water comes from caves? How many foods do you enjoy and need which depend on karst and animals like bats? These are just two of many examples of what you will come to understand about the importance of caves and karst.

Protect

Caves and karst areas around the world are being damaged and destroyed because many people do not understand their value. Protecting caves and karst is not an idealistic environmental goal. It is simple self-protection of human needs and lives. Environmental protection occurs automatically when caves and karst are protected properly.