Back to news
25 Jun 2018 | CryoHub

Regional Dialogue on Cryosphere Monitoring

A conference on “State of the Cryosphere in the Himalaya: Focus on Sikkim and the Eastern Himalaya – Gaps, Challenges, and Opportunities,” held in Gangtok, Sikkim, India on 19–20 February 2018, concluded with a declaration to strengthen glacier research in Sikkim and the eastern Himalayas. Inka Koch and Anna Sinisalo of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) briefed researchers on the Centre’s latest snow research and highlighted common snow and ice research interests in the region and the need to standardize methods and work together on transboundary issues, such as mitigating the risk of glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs).

0 mins Read

70% Complete

Over 50 cryosphere researchers attended the conference. Participants aimed to develop a policy framework where scientific research might help develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to address societal needs. The eight point declaration recommended better assessments of water security, improved access to scientific information for actors such as farmers and hydropower companies, exploring state-of-the art techniques to monitor the cryosphere, monitoring air quality and black carbon deposition on glaciers, building capacity in cryosphere research through work exchanges, and establishing glaciology as a topic in high school curriculums.

The conference was hosted by the Sikkim chapter of the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI) and the Department of Science and Technology and Climate Change, Government of Sikkim. ICIMOD was a co-organizer. The conference proceeding may be found on the Department of Science and Technology and Climate Change website.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

Governance Structure for Pakistan Chapter of Upper Indus Basin Network Recommended

In his opening remarks, the Chair stated, “The UIBN was initially Pakistan focused. It is becoming more regional now. We ...

Taungya System Workshop in Chin, Myanmar

Taungya, or shifting cultivation system, is a major food and income production system for the majority of farmers in Chin ...

25 May 2016 Himalica
Farmers Learn Beekeeping in Pilot Villages in Bhutan and Nepal

More than one-third of households have two to ten colonies of bees in traditional fixed-comb log-comb, wall-comb, or pitcher hives ...

28 May 2015 News
Below normal rainfall most likely in South Asia this year, say experts

This year the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum (SASCOF) has predicted that below normal rainfall is most likely ...

24 Nov 2017 Himalica
Mobile App Launched to Promote Spice Garden Tourism in Kangchenjunga Landscape, Nepal

Large cardamom is a high-value export commodity contributing to enhanced income of farmers in Taplejung. However, overdependence of farmers on ...

6 Feb 2015 News
Consultation on Promoting Sustainable Mountain Agriculture in Gilgit Baltistan

During the meeting, Izhar Hunzai, a consultant with ICIMOD, gave an overview of the proposal. Seerat Asghar, Federal Secretary at ...

River Basins in the Age of Federalism

Effective management of river basins for multiple benefits, such as the availability of water for domestic use, agriculture, and energy, ...