Developing a strategy to monitor permafrost changes in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

About the workshop

We are organising a three-day workshop that will help us develop a draft strategy to monitor permafrost in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region and define ICIMOD’s role in the process. This workshop will also contribute to developing a framework for regional cooperation to monitor permafrost changes and its consequences in High Mountain Asia.

Furthermore, the workshop will define a working group focused on generating and imparting the permafrost know-how for the HKH and conceptualise an integrated approach for comprehensive monitoring of permafrost in the region. The workshop is being organised as a follow-up to the permafrost forum held online in September 2021.

Objectives

• Share existing knowledge related to permafrost in the HKH and benefit from knowledge on permafrost related issues beyond the region
• Discuss approaches and methods for permafrost monitoring in the HKH and how different institutions can contribute to the monitoring
• Discuss key knowledge gaps in permafrost monitoring
• Formulate a strategy for monitoring permafrost and study the effects of permafrost change that will feed into the MTAP-V Action Area on Cryosphere
• Build communication between ICIMOD and interested institutions to collaborate on future permafrost monitoring and analysis and form a working group
• Discuss policy landscape corresponding to climate change impacts and adaptation linked to permafrost change

Expected outputs and outcomes

• Formulation of permafrost activity in the Cryosphere Action Area under MTAP-V and other relevant action areas such as river basins and natural hazards
• Formation of the permafrost working group for the HKH to communicate and collaborate on permafrost work
• Defined objectives and an action plan for the permafrost working group
• Identified key knowledge gaps, and strategy, approaches, and methods for future permafrost monitoring in the HKH discussed during the workshop

Background

Permafrost is a major component of the cryosphere and is present over much of High Mountain Asia, but despite its widespread abundance in the HKH, direct field-based monitoring of permafrost is limited, and existing observations are primarily dependent on remote sensing methods. Most in situ observations are focused on the Tibetan Plateau while permafrost in the high mountains remain uninvestigated.

Hence, there is a necessity for a regional approach for permafrost monitoring in the HKH. High mountain areas, much of which is underlain by permafrost, cross several political boundaries. Design and implementation of a sustainable transboundary network for integral assessment of permafrost environment in the HKH is essential to understand spatial and temporal variations in permafrost characteristics and their potential significance.

Climate warming has increased permafrost thawing in the HKH. Impacts of thawing permafrost on livelihoods and ecosystem services are visible but little understood. Recent observations indicate that permafrost warming has also possibly increased the probability of mass movements and compound extreme events in this region. The Chamoli disaster in Uttarakhand in 2021 was probably linked to changes in permafrost. Hence, assessing the consequences of thawing permafrost through systematic observations directed towards understanding permafrost distribution and dynamics is necessary and needs immediate attention.

Agenda