Call for Proposals by CAS and ICIMOD: 2024 International Mountain Forum

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Background

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding mountainous regions, known as the “Water Tower of Asia,” are the headwaters of Asia’s ten largest river systems. These rivers sustain one of the world’s most extensive food baskets, support rich biodiversity, and provide crucial ecosystem services for millions of people living in the mountains and downstream river basins.

About the Conference

The International Mountain Forum will take place in Chengdu, China, from 11-15 November 2024. Hosted by the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and CNICIMOD, in collaboration with various CAS institutes and ICIMOD’s long-term partners in China (see the list at the end of this page).

This forum will include one-day science-policy consultation which co-organized by ICIMOD, CNICIMOD and IMHE, the consultation will focus on addressing critical science and policy gaps related to climate change, biodiversity loss, and water pollution in mountain regions, with the goal of enhancing the science-policy interface.

Conference Sessions

• Day 1: Mountain Hazards and Risk Management
• Day 2: Monitoring and Simulation of Mountain Surface Processes
• Day 3: Digital Mountain and Future Innovations
• Day 4: National Science-Policy Dialogue: Strengthening the Climate Science-Policy Interface to Tackle Water, Food, and Biodiversity Challenges in the Third Pole Region
• Day 5: Graduate Student Sub-forum

Objectives of the International Mountain Forum

1. Public Awareness: Enhance understanding of the vital role of mountains in biodiversity conservation.
2. Sustainable Development: Promote sustainable practices in the modernization of mountainous regions.
3. Modernization Challenges: Identify and address key obstacles to the development of mountainous areas.
4. Propose Solutions and Technologies: Offer scientific solutions and technologies to address identified challenges.
5. Application of Scientific Achievements: Improve systems for applying and promoting scientific advancements to create safer, more resilient, and sustainable mountainous regions.

National Science-Policy Consultation in China

Background

This science-policy consultation, co-organized by ICIMOD, CNICIMOD, and IMHE-CAS, will also invite the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of the People’s Republic of China to contribute and participate. The MEE, responsible for formulating and implementing national ecological and environmental policies—including emission reduction targets and climate change mitigation—plays a key role in generating essential knowledge to support informed policy actions in line with national priorities

Objectives

1. Institutional Alignment: Recognize and align the institutional mandates and priorities of MEE and ICIMOD to build synergies for cross-learning on mountain issues.
2. Technical and Scientific Cooperation: Strengthen cooperation between ICIMOD and MEE to address the increasing impacts and risks of climate change, biodiversity loss, disasters, and environmental pollution in the Third Pole region.
3. China’s Leadership: Enhance China’s leadership in generating and disseminating scientific knowledge for informed policymaking in the HKH region.

Supporting Organizations

• Chinese Academy of Sciences
• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
• Mountain Partnership
• Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR)

Organizers

• Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
• Chinese Committee on ICIMOD (CNICIMOD)

Hosts

• Secretariat of Chinese Committee on ICIMOD
• State Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience
• Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences

Co-organizers

• University of CAS
• Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, CAS
• Chengdu Institute of Biology, CAS
• Lanzhou University
• Tibetan Academy of Agriculture and Animal Sciences
• Branch of Mountain Sustainable Development
• Kathmandu Center for Research and Education (KCRE)
• International Science & Technology Cooperation Platform for Mountain Disaster Prevention
• South Asia Institute for International Scientific & Technological Cooperation, Sichuan Province
• Journal of Mountain Science