WMO Launches Third Pole Climate Forum to Enhance Regional Climate Services in Asia's High Mountain Region

The inaugural session of the Third Pole Climate Forum (TPCF), the first regional climate forum for a high mountain region, was held in early June in China.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has taken significant steps to improve climate services in the Third Pole, a high mountain region in Asia that includes the Himalaya-Hindu Kush and Tibetan Plateau, home to the largest extent of frozen water outside the Arctic and Antarctic.

The inaugural session of the Third Pole Climate Forum (TPCF), the first regional climate forum for a high mountain region, was held in early June in China. This session issued the first seasonal outlook for the summer season (June to September 2024), which aims to guide decision-making and address knowledge gaps.

Key Forecasts

According to experts at the session, above-normal temperatures are expected over most of the region, with precipitation likely to be near or above normal, except in the western and southeastern parts where it may be below normal.

Importance of the Third Pole

The Third Pole's glaciers and frozen water sources are critical, feeding river basins that provide freshwater to hundreds of millions of people. Rapid changes in the cryosphere and glacier melt have profound impacts on high-mountain ecosystems and downstream regions, increasing hazards like floods, landslides, and glacial lake outbursts. These changes also threaten agriculture and hydropower generation sustainability.

Need for Collaboration

WMO Scientific Officer Anahit Hovsepyan emphasized the need for stronger regional collaboration and knowledge exchange due to the transboundary nature of climate threats and the limited infrastructure and resources in many Third Pole countries.

Third Pole Regional Climate Centre Network

To facilitate collaboration, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in the region have established the Third Pole Regional Climate Centre Network (TPRCC-Network). The network launched its demonstration phase and initiated the first session of TPCF, co-organized by the Beijing Climate Centre and WMO from June 4-6, 2024, in Lijiang, China. Around 70 experts from 18 countries, including lead roles from China, India, and Pakistan, participated.

Climate Review and Outlook

The TPCF reviewed the past winter's climate conditions and prepared a summer season outlook, consolidating information from multiple sources and issuing a joint statement with key highlights:

Winter 2023/2024 Climate: Higher surface air temperatures over most of the region, except the inner and southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The western Tianshan mountains and southwestern TP region experienced drier conditions, while northeastern and central TP regions were wetter. Snow cover was slightly below normal overall.

Significant Events: Mongolia faced the harshest Dzud in 50 years; Pakistan and Afghanistan were severely affected by heavy rain and flash floods in April and May 2024; Northern Kazakhstan experienced floods due to exceptional snow melt in March-April 2024.

Summer 2024 Outlook: Above-normal temperatures are expected over most of the region, especially the Karakoram. The southwestern and northwestern parts may experience normal to above-normal temperatures. Precipitation is likely to be near or above normal over most parts of the TP region, but below normal in the western and southeastern parts.

TPRCC-Network Structure

The TPRCC-Network comprises three geographical nodes with thematic responsibilities:

Northern Node: Climate Monitoring (China, lead)

Southern Node: Climate Data Services (India, lead)

Western Node: Long-Range Forecasting (Pakistan, lead)

The network is supported by contributing partners such as ICIMOD, TPE, GCW, and GEWEX, with overall coordination by the China Meteorological Administration. This initiative aims to provide regional and subregional climate and cryosphere-related products and services, addressing the unique needs of the Third Pole region.