On August 14-16, 2009, the 1st Third Pole Environment (TPE) Workshop was held in Beijing, attracting about seventy scientific and technical staff from 15 countries interested in the subject.

 

Twenty participating scientists reported on their latest research achievement during the workshop. All participants were deeply involved in the discussion and shared generously with each other their insights on the scientific significance of the TPE workshop, key scientific issues, and organization and future planning for a sustainable progress of the TPE and related subjects.

 

With regard to deepening human understanding of the TPE as the final goal of the workshop, participants suggested to involve more organizations, academic and interest groups to conduct the multidisciplinary study of water-ice-air-ecology-human interactions. A long-term perspective was planned for the project, though in the near future, collaborative focuses would be laid on joint expedition transects over the Third Pole region, establishment of observation stations and data sharing platform, hosting summer schools for young scientists of nations involved, and organization of science committee including scientists from a broad range of nations and academic interests. A TPE general office was also called upon to facilitate the operation and coordination of programs, to aid in hosting annual workshops and summer schools for young scientists, and to regularly maintain the TPE website content, and to provide correspondence and news releases. At the initial stage, all agreed to set the general office at ITP’s Beijing campus. Professors Tandong Yao, Lonnie Thompson and Volker Mosbrugger were nominated by the workshop attendees to lead and establish the TPE science committee at the onset of programs. Locations for future workshops were also discussed, with Kathmandu, Nepal decided upon as the venue for the 2010 TPE Workshop, and New Delhi, India as that for the 2011 Workshop.

 

Sincere gratitude is extended to all TPE workshop attendees, who generously offered their ideas for promoting the program into an internationally influential one. Special thanks to Profs. Volker Mosbrugger and Gregory Greenwood, who accepted the drafting tasks in spite of their extremely busy schedules.