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Making Connections for Our Changing Mountains

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Dear MRI Community,

High mountains were on the agenda at the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva earlier this month, when I attended a meeting to develop a White Paper for the WMO’s High Mountains Strategy in collaboration with mountain research experts. The White Paper is a key input to be presented at the WMO Congress in June, and later as part of the WMO High Mountains Summit in October 2019, at which the MRI will be present as the event's Co-Chair.

In March, the discussion of high mountains will continue during the IPCC Fourth Lead Author Meeting for SROCC. Over the course of this six-day meeting, I will be working with my fellow authors to improve the High Mountains chapter of this report by taking into account the valuable comments submitted by the mountain research community during the review phase.

Later in the month, I’ll be attending a workshop in Munich that aims to capitalize on the results of the ESPON project Alps 2050, which developed spatial perspectives and scenarios for the Alpine region towards the year 2050. Then it’s off to Rome for the next Mountain Partnership Steering Committee meeting, before heading back to Geneva for the WMO’s Ninth Session of the Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research, and Services – during which we’ll be framing the Polar and High Mountain Agenda for the next WMO Financial Period (2020-2023).

All in all, a busy March ahead!

Enjoy your read,



Dr. Carolina Adler
MRI Executive Director

Coming Up on the MRI's Agenda

March 2019

IPCC WG II Fourth Lead Author Meeting for SROCC
4-9 March, Kazan, Russian Federation.

ESPON Project Alps 2050 Workshop
11 March, Munich, Germany.

13th GEO Programme Board Meeting
21-22 March, Geneva, Switzerland.

Mountain Partnership Steering Committee Meeting
25-26 March, Rome, Italy.

WMO Ninth Session of the Executive Council Panel of Experts on Polar and High Mountain Observations, Research, and Services
27-29 March, Geneva, Switzerland.

 

April 2019

EGU General Assembly 2019
7-12 April, Vienna, Austria.

4th Open Science Meeting 2019: Transforming Land Systems for People and Nature
24-26 April, Bern, Switzerland.
With new mountain events added regularly, don't forget to check out our online calendar.
View Events Calendar

Latest News

From the MRI

It is with sadness that we share news of the death of our founder, Professor Bruno Messerli, who passed away at the beginning of February. Bruno was an inspiring leader and scientist, and a true giant of mountain research. In addition to the central role he played in the birth of the MRI, Bruno also co-founded the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). We extend our deepest condolences to Bruno’s family, and mourn the loss of a dedicated colleague and a good friend.
The annual Swiss Global Change Day, organized by ProClim, brings together Swiss and international scientists and practitioners to present and discuss highlights of climate and global change research from different fields. This year’s programme was full of familiar faces from the MRI, with MRI Chair Rolf Weingartner chairing the first session and MRI Co-PI Adrienne Grêt-Regamey giving a keynote speech.  

From Our Network

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment found that even meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century could lead to a 2.1 degree Celsius spike in temperatures in the Himalaya – resulting in the melting of one-third of the region’s glaciers. These glaciers are a critical water source to some 250 million mountain dwellers, and 1.65 billion others living in the river valleys below. 
ICMR was launched by the University of Lausanne (UNIL) as a four-year pilot project to contribute to the sustainable development of mountain regions. It enhances the synergies between 70 researchers from five UNIL faculties and nine research and dissemination institutions. Among these associated entities is the MRI, supporting international outreach and connection.
An interdisciplinary research project to bolster sustainable and inclusive tourism development in mountainous Georgia is exploring linkages between tourism and community-driven economic activities. It is led by MRD-Cau, a collaborative effort between local and international scholars with the shared vision of pursuing solutions to pressing challenges in the Caucasus Mountains.
Researchers have provided a new estimate for the glacier ice volume all around the world, excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. Their conclusion: previous calculations overestimated the volume of the glaciers in High Mountain Asia.
"This scientific conference [...] seeks international cooperation for sustainable development in mountain regions. We are gathered here, talking and exchanging ideas – and it makes all the difference.”   Prof. Martin Price.
Have an idea for a blog post or mountain news to share?
Get in touch!

New Publication

A new book by Fiona Pia, architect and doctor of science EPFL, undertakes a focused analysis of various representative models of high-altitude towns and mobility systems in order to develop tools with which to design tailored densification strategies. 

Opportunities

Open Calls

For the third time, the Swiss Academy of Sciences is organizing a national conference within the framework 'Park Research Switzerland.' The aim of the conference is to show which topics are currently being investigated in parks of national importance and UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Switzerland in order to reflect on the practice and to identify research gaps. Please note that although the call is in German and French, abstract submissions are also accepted in English. Submission deadline 15 March. 
The 46th International Conference of the Austrian Association for American Studies has issued a call for panels and individual papers that explore the conference theme of 'Mediating Mountains.' Deadline 19 May.
 
The Convention on Biological Diversity is in the process of collecting inputs for the development of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The mountain research community are encouraged to provide their views by 15 April. 
The journal Sustainability, an international peer-reviewed journal published by MDPI, is calling for papers exploring the topic of agritourism in mountains. Deadline 30 March.
 
The Chilean Society of the Cryosphere invites researchers, professionals, and students both in Chile and abroad to its 2019 Annual Meeting. Scientists wishing to present their research may submit an abstract by 15 March. 

Scholarships

Each scholarship award is for a maximum amount of 15,000 Euros per year for up to two years during the period 2019-2021. The IPCC will accept applications from PhD students that have been enrolled for at least a year, or individuals undertaking post-doctoral research. Applicants should be citizens of a developing country, with priority given to students from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Deadline 22 March.

Education

A one-week training course will be organised in the framework of the H2020 EU-funded project Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas (SIMRA) at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, 18-22 November 2019, to address the importance of social innovation in less favoured rural areas.
3-8 June 2019, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy.
1 June - 31 October 2019. University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Jobs

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