Back to news
12 Oct 2015 | HKPL

Pakistani students learn about permafrost and glacier monitoring

1 min Read

70% Complete

A two day workshop on permafrost and glaciers was held 15-16 September at Karakoram International University (KIU) in Gilgit, Pakistan. The Permafrost Special Project and Cryosphere Initiative of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and KIU organised the two day workshop. Up to 40  participants from the university and other institutions attended, including students and researchers with varied backgrounds in geology, environmental science, and biology.

Participants were introduced to Essential Climate Variables (ECS), defined by the Global Climate Observing System, including permafrost, glaciers and snow, and the international cryosphere monitoring strategy, which contributes to a coordinated climate monitoring.

Day one included talks on permafrost, its relevance, methods to investigate permafrost and exercises to interpret ground surface temperatures. Permafrost is ground material that remains frozen for two or more consecutive years. The near surface layer above it thaws during the warm season and is termed the “active layer”. Permafrost thaw influences a broad range of systems including hydrology, ecosystems, vegetation, sediment loads in rivers, debris flows and rock fall. As a consequence, it can strongly affect regional livelihoods and economies. The existence and characteristics of permafrost depend on climatic setting, topography, surface cover and subsurface material.

On day two, participants learned about glacier mass balance as a climate indicator, its relationship to the climate, and monitoring techniques. Field equipment was demonstrated and field measurements were analysed to increase the understanding.

ICIMOD’s Senior Glaciologist and Permafrost Coordinator, Dorothea Stumm, who conducted the workshop, said the workshop was successful in introducing basic knowledge on permafrost and glaciers to the participants.

“We had a good gender balance among the participants, and both women and men took greater interest in learning more about glaciers and the impact of permafrost on the environment”, Stumm said.

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 Contents

Continue exploring this topic

22 Feb 2018 HI-LIFE
Regional Workshop on Planning Transboundary Technical Collaboration for Landscape Management

The goal of the workshop was to concretize regional technical collaboration to support the nomination of the Hkakaborazi Landscape nomination ...

9 Mar 2015 News
Improving Rapid Response Mapping and Information System

One of the main challenges for countries prone to disaster events, such as Nepal, ...

14 Dec 2015 News
Expanding Efforts to Revive Koshi’s Drying Springs and Ponds

  Local community leaders from village development committees (VDCs) gathered  2 Decem-ber 2015 in Bhakunde Besi, Kavre for a one day ...

17 May 2016 News
ICIMOD’s Contribution to Implementation of the Prime Minister’s Directive to Accelerate Socioeconomic Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is Recognised

The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MOCHTA) considers ICIMOD’s strategic framework for sustainable development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of ...

25 Jun 2018 Livelihoods
Celebrating World Environment Day 2018 at The Earthquake Reconstruction And Rehabilitation Project In Dhungentar, Nuwakot

World Environment Day 2018 Event at Dhungentar: Brief Report. Since 2016, ICIMOD in partnership with the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has ...

11 Aug 2015 News
Stakeholders discuss way forward for adaptation programme

Representatives of the promoters, partners, and stakeholders of the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP) met in Delhi from 17-19 June 2015 ...

20 Nov 2018 Atmosphere Initiative
Valley Mayors Commit to Clean Valley Air

The two-hour event included experts’ briefings on the current scientific understanding of air pollution, on the possible solutions that municipalities ...

22 Sep 2015 News
SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) and private sector engagement in climate change

The SAARC region is one of the most densely populated and ecologically vulnerable regions in the world housing more than 40 percent ...