Remote sensing and field-based glacier and snow monitoring in Pakistan

About the training

The Cryosphere Initiative is collaborating with the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) to organize a training on remote sensing and field-based glacier and snow monitoring in Pakistan. The training will explore free and easily available remote sensing data and software used for mapping various components of the cryosphere. It will also focus on observing snow cover and glacier extent using different remote sensing classification techniques and analysis using the R software.

Session topics include:

• Introduction to the cryosphere (snow, glacier, glacial lake, and permafrost), their dynamics and impacts
• Introduction to remote sensing: remote sensing datasets, sensors, resolution
• Familiarization with available remote sensing datasets, acquisition, and processing for glacier mapping and elevation changes
• Hands-on exercises on different methods to map glaciers and snow, and identification process of potentially dangerous glacial lakes (PDGLs)
• Field-based glacier monitoring and use of dGPS; downstream impacts (e.g., hazards, agriculture production) of glacier changes

Expected participants

This training targets our partner institutions in Pakistan including faculty members of universities, members of research institutes, students, and early career researchers. The training is designed for 30-35 participants.

Participants will be invited through invitation and an open call via our website and social media. Half of the participants will represent our key cryosphere research partner institutions and the rest will be selected through an open call. We highly encourage women in the field to apply.

Deadline for this training is now closed. Results will be communicated to the selected candidates by 24 February 2022.

Background

The cryosphere, mainly glacier and snow in the high mountain Asia, provides water for approximately one-fifth of the people on the planet. This is makes cryosphere monitoring in the region key in assessing the availability of meltwater, especially in the dry season, and related hazards. However, consistent long-term glacier and snow monitoring programmes are sparse in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), including the Karakoram region. The large spatial coverage of glaciers and snow in the HKH, along with climate challenges and rough terrains, makes it challenging for field-based monitoring activities. Hence, remote sensing serves as an essential tool to complement field-based glacier and snow monitoring in the HKH region.

Agenda