4th TPE Workshop held in Dehradun, India

From April 1-3, the 4th Third Pole Environment (TPE) Workshop was held at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) in Dehradun, India. In attendance were over 50 world-renowned scientists, as well as members of international organizations and government officials from 14 different countries.

The opening ceremony of the workshop was held on the afternoon of April 1st, with President of Iceland ólafur Ragnar Grímsson as the guest of honor. In his speech, President Grímsson praised the collaborative efforts of scientists from the Third Pole region and beyond, and said it is “a great honor for Iceland to be a part of this evolving Himalayan cooperation.” TPE Co-chairs Tandong Yao and Lonnie Thompson also spoke at the opening ceremony, highlighting the latest progresses made by the TPE program and calling for further cooperation among scientists. S. Jaipal Reddy, The Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences of the Government of India, Ram Boojh , the UNESCO representative, and Anil K. Gupta, WIHG Director, additionally addressed participants and stressed the importance of promoting TPE research to tackle the challenge of global climate change.

Scientific presentations, group and plenary discussions were held on April 2-3. Nearly 30 scientists presented their latest research results in scientific sessions that included “Human-Nature Relationship in the Third Pole Region”, “Climate Changes in the Past and at Present in Polar Regions on Earth”, “Regional Efforts in TPE Study” and “Ecosystem and Geology.” In addition, the TPE Glacial Mass Balance Flagship Station Working Group and the TPE Precipitation Working Group summarized their results and discussions from recent meetings. During the plenary discussions, it was agreed that the next TPE event would be structured as an open conference, instead of a workshop, which will allow broader involvement from scientists and policy-makers.

Group photo of participants at the 4th TPE Workshop

TPE Co-chairs Tandong Yao (right) and Lonnie Thompson (center), together with the Director of WADIA, Anil Gupta (left)