Training

4th International Training School on Atmospheric Brown Clouds (ABC)

Atmospheric brown clouds (ABC), observed as widespread layers of brownish haze, are regional scale plumes of air pollutants, mainly aerosol particles and precursor gases which produce aerosols and ozone. ABC and their interaction with build-up of greenhouse gases significantly affect the regional climate, glacial melting, hydrological cycle, agriculture and human health. ABC is an emerging regional climate change issue.

Programmes

IKM

Venue

Soaltee Crown Plaza, Kathmandu, Nepal

Date & Time

21 March 2011 to 23 March 2011

Contact

Bidya Banmali Pradhan

The important but inadequately understood role that ABC can play in regional and global climate change has opened a new dimension of human influence on earth’s climate. The effect of ABC on climate, water, agriculture and human health is an outstanding problem which prevents a complete understanding of climate change and its impacts, and needs to be more fully explored. To study this emerging environmental issue, UNEP commissioned Project Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) in 2002 in collaboration with a team of distinguished scientists from Asia, Europe and the USA. Project ABC encompasses capacity building, both human resources and physical infrastructure, in the region. The project organizes regularly the International Training Schools on Atmospheric Brown Clouds to provide advanced training to young scientists and senior research students in various aspects of atmospheric and climate science. The 4th international training school on ABC will be organized in Kathmandu, Nepal during 21-26 March 2011. The participants will be given classroom lectures and tutorials by internationally prominent atmospheric scientists on the theoretical background and an overview of current knowledge on various aspects of atmospheric brown clouds and climate change. The principles of operation of a variety of the state-of-the-art instruments for atmospheric aerosols, traces gases, radiation and meteorological measurements will also be described in the lectures. They will also be exposed to a number of instruments for data collection and data analysis. This will facilitate the students in their collection, analysis and interpretation of atmospheric data. A group of international faculty experts from China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Nepal, and USA will deliver the lectures, and conduct training on operation of instruments.