Science-Policy Dialogue: Environmental change in the third pole region and China’s response

About the event

We are organizing a science-policy dialogue to share and discuss key findings from recent scientific publications focused on the critical issues facing the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region and the Third Pole. This event will bring together participants from China and neighbouring HKH countries. Leading scientists, researchers, and practitioners from China’s key research institutions, government departments, and think tanks will share their experiences translating scientific insights into practice within China.

The workshop is being co-organised with the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE) Chinese Academy of Sciences at the 2024 International Mountain Forum (IMF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Government of China.

Objectives

1. Take stock of the latest science on the environmental and societal changes happening in the Third Pole region
2. Share and discuss China’s approach to translating science into practice for addressing the impacts of such changes
3. Deliberate on shared challenges and opportunities to benefit from China’s experiences and strengthen regional collaboration in the HKH region.

Anticipated Outcomes

1. Improved understanding of the environmental changes occurring in the Third Pole region and its impacts
2. Key learnings from China’s Science-Policy-Practice interface managing the change
3. Bolstering China’s leadership to strengthen regional collaboration on shared challenges of the HKH region.

Background

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its surrounding mountainous regions are the headwaters for Asia’s ten largest river systems, also known as the “Water Tower of Asia”.  As part of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), this region is also called the Third Pole. The rivers originating from this region irrigate one of the most extended food baskets of the world, support the diverse and rich biodiversity and provide water and an array of ecosystem services vital for the economy and well-being of the people living in the mountains and river basins downstream.

Globally perceived as a scientifically less known area and seldom incorporated into the global environmental policy discourses, various institutions and organisations are working to generate knowledge and information about the HKH and the Third Pole on critical issues like cryosphere, biodiversity, pollution, disaster risks, and society. Major flagship scientific publications have identified the state of knowledge of the HKH in the recent past. The most notable ones are the Water, Ice, Society and Ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: An Outlook (HI-WISE), A Scientific Assessment of the Third Pole Environment, and the Scientific Assessment of the Impact of Human Activities on the Ecological Environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Furthermore, the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) is conducting a study to understanding the Tibetan Plateau earth system change and its impact on the environment, water, ecosystem, society, and disasters in the third pole HKH region. These scientific resources provide the impetus for evidence-based policy and decision-making in China and the HKH region and can help bring mountains to the global climate and environmental discourse.