Permafrost monitoring in Humla, Kailash Sacred Landscape, Nepal

About the fieldwork

The Cryosphere Initiative and the Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative are jointly organising an expedition to continue permafrost monitoring in Humla. The expedition team will strengthen the climate monitoring system in Humla by installing weather stations and placing temperature sensors in additional locations. The team will also be organising community interactions to share the objectives of the expedition and learn about the communities’ experiences with changes in climate and cryosphere.

The expedition team will be performing the following activities:

• Set up micro weather stations at several locations for climate monitoring and install miniature temperature loggers to monitor changes in ground surface temperature
• Download data from the existing micro weather station and miniature temperature loggers in different locations
• Organise interactions with communities in different villages to record their perceptions on the impacts of warming climate and changes in cryosphere, especially changes in weather patterns, unpredictable weather events, and degrading permafrost to understand how these communities are adapting to the changes

This is a follow up expedition to the 2021 fieldwork organised by the two initiatives to initiate permafrost monitoring in Humla. In 2021, the team installed sensors and stations for permafrost monitoring and investigated the impacts of changing cryosphere on different communities in Humla focusing on hazards due to thawing permafrost.

Background

Climate warming induced permafrost thaw may cause wide-ranging bio-physical, social, and economic impacts in the HKH region. Permafrost monitoring in the HKH is limited and additional investigations are necessary to understand the frequency and intensity of these impacts.

Related links:

https://www.icimod.org/news/expanding-permafrost-research-in-the-hkh/

https://www.icimod.org/event/developing-a-strategy-to-monitor-permafrost-changes-in-the-hindu-kush-himalaya/