International forum on cryosphere and society

PR

KATHMANDU, August 26, 2019: The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD); Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal; and State Key Laboratory of Cryosphere Sciences (SKLC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China, are jointly organizing the ”International forum on cryosphere and society”, a first-of-its-kind platform focusing on the emerging framework of cryosphere contributions. The concept of cryosphere contributions is a comparatively new lens through which to view the cryosphere and its intersection with humanity, and the forum will explore its relevance in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) as well as potential areas of research in the cryosphere and society.

Despite decades of research on mountain development and the cryosphere, knowledge building and applications of research findings have often followed independent, if parallel, tracks. It has become increasingly apparent that an alternative thinking may be needed to work across disciplines and sectors on the cryosphere and communities in the HKH.

The international forum will facilitate discussions on the emerging and evolving topic of cryosphere contributions, what it means in the HKH context, the kind of research that is developing in this space, and pathways towards increasing the resilience of HKH communities.

This forum brings together regional and international experts and stakeholders to discuss the latest research in this rapidly evolving field, clarifying and developing the “voice of the HKH”. The forum will focus on:

• The high mountain environment: A shared heritage
• The cryosphere’s contributions to society and the environment 
• Cryospheric hazards and their impacts 
• Decision making and transformative strategies in the high mountains
• Cross-cutting issues such as gender and social inclusion, governance and scale in terms of impact, and geographical extent or magnitude