To apply, please register via the application portal here: https://apps.ipcc.ch/scholarship/.

You will need to complete and upload:

• An application form;
• National ID and passport;
• Research proposal (5 – 15 pages, maximum);
• A provisional budget;
• Proof of completion of at least one year of PhD studies or proof of initial work as a post-doctoral researcher;
• Recommendation letter (by host Institution); and
• Support letter (by IPCC Focal Point or IPCC Observer Organization or IPCC Bureau Member).

The forms are available via the portal, once you have registered.

** Applicants who will not provide all the required documents will not be considered.

Please note that the deadline for submission is 13 April 2025 at midnight CET.

Cover photo by Jacek Urbanski on Unsplash.

While the full survey results are available in the downloadable meeting slides, key takeaways included:

• The General Inventory helps users discover relevant datasets and resources, with participants suggesting improvements like broader regional coverage, refined metadata, and a dedicated web application.
• The In Situ Inventory is valued for locating monitoring stations, with calls for more frequent updates, enhanced mapping features, and expanded data from national agencies.

Following the survey, TG1 held its first meeting on 12 March 2025 to discuss the survey’s findings, refine priorities, and plan next steps. Although attendance was limited to six participants, several valuable insights and suggestions were provided. The meeting began with an overview of GEO Mountains, TG1’s objectives, and a review of the two inventories. The survey results (outlined above) then served as a basis for discussion. 

Participants also suggested their priorities for potential improvements. This feedback will guide GEO Mountains in updating both inventories for their next release, planned for late 2025. 

Key discussion points included:

• Emphasis was placed on improving the mapping tool for the In Situ Inventory. Survey feedback suggested that enhancements such as advanced filtering, clearer categorization, and robust search options would greatly benefit users.
• The topic of hydrometeorological data from national agencies also emerged. Some participants proposed that GEO Mountains should take the initiative to engage with these agencies and discuss their data-sharing policies in order to incorporate such stations and links to associated data in the In Situ Inventory. Notably, this issue was already discussed during past GEO Mountains Regional Workshops and is currently under consideration as part of Phase 2 of Adaptation at Altitude.
• Another suggestion was to conduct regional surveys for various groups to contribute data to both inventories, and to consider splitting the General Inventory into separate regional files to better cater to local needs.

• A recurring feedback point was the low level of awareness about the inventories, despite their perceived unique value. This led to discussions on boosting communication efforts through tutorial videos, informative articles, or case studies that demonstrate real-world applications. One participant even recommended developing a “state of the art” resource or a bibliography of publications that have utilized the inventory.
• Finally, some participants argued that prioritising “mountain-specific” data might be more beneficial, given that available platforms like Google Earth Engine already provide extensive global datasets.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the survey and meeting for sharing their time and insights. If you’d like more details, slides from the meeting are available for download, and a recording can be provided upon request. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with TG1 members to implement these enhancements, and encourage anyone else interested in contributing to reach out to the GEO Mountains Secretariat.

This article was originally published here on the GEO Mountains website on 20 March 2025. 

Cover photo by Kasra Rasaee on Unsplash.

Eighteen months into its current assessment cycle, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) gathered to review draft work related to key elements of its the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7). At its 62nd Session, the IPCC considered the outlines for the Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage, the reports that will be produced by each of the IPCC’s three Working Groups, and the Synthesis Report that will summarize key findings from cycle.

The Panel built on the work done by over 230 experts who gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December 2024 to draft the outlines of each Working Group’s contribution to AR7. Working Group I will produce a report on the Physical Science Basis of climate change, Working Group II will report on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability, and Working Group III will report on Mitigation of Climate Change. During IPCC-62, governments reviewed and agreed on the outlines for this work, providing a basis for the next steps in the IPCC’s cycle.

IPCC-62 considered the IPCC Trust Fund Programme and budget for the years 2024-2027 and proposals for expert meetings and workshops for the seventh assessment cycle. Participants heard progress reports from the IPCC Chair and Vice-Chairs, the three Working Groups, the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the Task Group on Data Support for Climate Change Assessments, the Gender Action Team, the IPCC Scholarship Programme, and on communication and outreach activities. Other items on the agenda for this session included the report of the IPCC conflict of interest committee and matters related to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other international bodies.

The MRI was represented at the IPCC-62 by MRI Science Leadership Council member Dr. Joyce Kimutai, a Climate Scientist affiliated with Kenya Meteorological Services and the Grantham Institute of Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London. Kimutai describes her impressions of the days-long event and the fight to put mountains at the forefront of policy:

“Mountain ecosystems are critical, and it was my goal at the 62nd session of the IPCC to negotiate that mountains get their own dedicated chapter in the final report, so that they can both be assessed more rigorously as well as be elevated to the attention of policy-makers.

Unfortunately, the discussions on mountains came a few days into the event, at a point when numerous issues were already on the table early on and by then various factors were at play. While we couldn’t secure a stand-alone chapter for mountains, a cross-chapter was agreed upon, which we consider an achievement in itself.

Although an earlier introduction of mountains may have led to a more favorable outcome, I believe the fight to protect mountain systems is going in the right direction. A number of colleagues and peers were also pushing for mountains to be given its own chapter, sending a clear message to researchers and governments that a standalone assessment for mountains is necessary.”

Established in 1988, the IPCC is made up of 195 governments that are members of the United Nations or the World Meteorological Organization. The Panel provides governments with scientific information that can be used to create climate policies and provides input into multilateral climate change negotiations. Since its inception, the Panel has prepared a series of comprehensive assessment reports and special reports that provide scientific information on climate change to the international community. Its reports are based on the work of thousands of experts who volunteer as IPCC authors.

IPCC-62 convened in Hangzhou, China, from 24-28 February 2025.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting were Laura Bullon-Cassis, Ph.D.; María Gutiérrez, Ph.D.; Moritz Petersmann; and Jessica Templeton, Ph.D. The Digital Editor was Anastasia Rodopoulou. The Editor was Pam Chasek, Ph.D.

This news was first published by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin. You can find the original summary on the website.

Citation: Bullon-Cassis, Laura, Maria Gutiérrez, Moritz Petersmann and Jessica Templeton. 2025. Summary of the 62nd Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Earth Negotiations Bulletin/IISD, Vol. 12, No. 866.

Further Reading

• IPCC Press Release: IPCC agrees on outline of three key contributions to the Seventh Assessment
  Report (IPCC newsroom)
• IISD Earth Negotiations Bulleting Summary Report and Analysis
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Calls for Nominations of Authors for its Seventh Assessment (AR7) (MRI News)
• Enhancing Climate Action in Central and South America: The Role of Social Diversity in IPCC Outreach (MRI News)
• IPCC Report | Urgent Climate Action Can Secure a Liveable Future for All (MRI News)
• AR6 Synthesis Report Climate Change 2023: Summary for Policymakers
• Mountain regions are hotspots of climate-related losses. The need for adaptation is now, says IPCC Cross-Chapter Paper (MRI News)  
• A Future in the Balance: Unprecedented Ocean and Cryosphere Change Requires Urgent Action, IPCC Report Finds (MRI News)
• IPCC Report: Climate Change “Grave and Mounting Threat” to Human Well-Being and Healthy Planet. Humanity Must Act Now (MRI News)

Cover photo by Chris Gallagher on Unsplash.

Any project rooted in mountain sports with a focus on environmental sustainability and climate change is eligible to apply for the UIAA Mountain Protection Award.

The MPA promotes and supports projects that seek to protect mountain ecosystems and engage climbers and mountaineers in a direct and positive way. The Award platform also welcomes sustainable mountain tourism initiatives directly support and benefit the lives of mountain communities. Throughout the past decade, the MPA platform has enabled projects to raise finances to build key infrastructures, conduct vital research and fulfil pending goals.

In parallel, it has provided an international showcase and communication platform for projects to raise awareness, inspire and exchange ideas and initiatives about adapting to climate change, protecting biodiversity, preserving local cultures of the mountainous communities and promoting responsible practices. Not only has it supported local communities, it has also fostered its own global community. The Award celebrates innovation and the desire of climbers to make a positive difference.

The deadline to apply is 15 May 2025. Read the 2025 guidelines and apply directly on the official website.

Cover photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is calling for nominations of experts to act as Coordinating Lead Authors, Lead Authors, or Review Editors for the three key Working Group contributions to IPCC´s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7). This follows the Panel’s agreement on the outlines of the three Working Group contributions during its 62^nd Session held in Hangzhou, China.

Hundreds of experts around the world in different scientific domains volunteer their time and expertise to produce the reports of the IPCC. Author teams reflect a range of scientific, technical and socio-economic expertise. Coordinating Lead Authors and Lead Authors are responsible for drafting the different chapters of the Working Group contributions to the AR7 and, with the help of the Review Editors, revising those based on comments submitted during the two rounds of reviews by experts and governments.

“Our priority for the Seventh Assessment Report is to attract the most talented individuals across the whole spectrum of scientific, technical and socio-economic research. We would like to see balanced author teams involving both established experts and younger scientists new to the IPCC. It is essential that we reflect fully the breadth and depth of knowledge on climate change and climate action” said IPCC Chair Jim Skea.

IPCC author teams include a mix of experts from different regions to ensure geographic balance. The IPCC also seeks a balance in gender, as well as between those experienced with working on IPCC reports and those new to the process, including younger scientists.

During the 60th Session of the IPCC in January 2024, the Panel agreed to continue to prepare a comprehensive assessment report and to maintain the current Working Group structure where Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change; Working Group II looks at impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability to climate change, and Working Group III assesses the mitigation of climate change.

The outlines of the three Working Group contributions to the AR7 were developed after a comprehensive scientific scoping meeting in December 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia before the Panel considered them and agreed upon them at the end of February.

Those interested in being nominated as a Coordinating Lead Author, a Lead Author or a Review Editor should contact their relevant Focal Point. A list of Focal Points for IPCC member governments and observer organizations is available here.

Nominations are submitted through a dedicated online nomination tool by Focal Points in governments and accredited observer organizations, as well as IPCC Bureau Members.

Governments, Observer Organisations, and IPCC Bureau Members have been requested to submit their nominations by Thursday 17 April 2025 (midnight CEST).

More information on the nomination process is here and how the IPCC selects its authors is available here.

For more information, contact:
IPCC Press Office, Email: ipcc-media@wmo.int;
Andrej Mahecic, +41 22 730 8516; Werani Zabula, +41 22 730 8120.

This article was originally published on the IPCC website on 11 March 2025; link to the original article is here.

Cover photo by USGS on Unsplash.

The graduate will be able to promote the creation of products and/or services of economic and social value beginning from the specific environmental, natural and agro-forestry resources of the mountains, following the principles of sustainability and in relation to local and global processes operating at the level of environmental (e.g., climate change) and socio-economic factors (depopulation, competitiveness and new models of development, etc.) and related national, European and international intervention policies.

A Closer Look at Our Master’s Degree Program Approach

The master’s degree program will allow graduates to acquire concrete knowledge, skills and abilities specific to the environmental characteristics of mountain agro-forest ecosystems, specific technologies and methods for monitoring and sustainable management of the mountain environment and its resources, and to optimize the services rendered (ecosystem services, tourism, etc.) and the products that can be obtained. Indeed, the training aims to promote the sustainable enhancement of the specific resources of mountain territories in strategic sectors for the economy such as tourism (e.g., planning and promotion of greenways and paths, dissemination/environmental education), energy from renewable sources, as well as (with regard to “bio-resources” and mountain agrobiodiversity) traditional local short supply chains (e.g. agritourism companies, catering, crafts, etc.) but also in typical industrial supply chains in various sectors such as agri-food, medicinal/health, nutraceutical, cosmetic, manufacturing (e.g. textile) biotechnology, or in the context of the bioeconomy and the circular economy.

The specific knowledge, skills and competence of a historical-geographical, juridical-legislative and economic nature will allow the graduate to contribute to the development of business, marketing of product, service and territorial strategies, appropriate to the mountain context, both for the start-up of new businesses and for the planning and management of interventions in the context of programs and strategies for the development of these areas. Furthermore, the expert professional of the mountain territory knows how to use effective communication techniques and methodologies (transversal skills applicable across a range of sectors) including the most innovative digital technologies (web, social, etc.). This is essential to effective interaction with service and innovation centres, between the mountain and urban, local and “global” scales, for continuous training, networking, technical-scientific dissemination and outreach, as well as the marketing of the territory and its products and services.

Admission applications for Academic Year 2025/2026 are now open. Non-EU students visa applicants are required to apply for admission no later than 30 April 2025.

You can find more information on the UNIMONT website here.

Visit this page to access the “programme website” where interested students may apply.

Cover photo by Michaela Římáková on Unsplash.

These activities are community-led activities that bring people together for collaboration, and generate outcomes and outputs that integrate and synthesise existing data, information, publications, and/or other forms of knowledge and that have the potential to provide new insights on the state of mountains in a global context, thereby supporting the MRI’s mission and objectives in 2023-2026. We are particularly interested in syntheses activities that support and/or contribute to the work of the MRI Working Groups and other MRI Flagship Activities.

In the meantime, we encourage all MRI members interested in submitting a proposal to start gathering ideas, form consortia, formulate key syntheses questions that your proposed activity will seek to answer, plus co-design activities with a view to generating outputs such as publications.

A History of MRI Synthesis Activities and Outputs 

Since 2012, MRI has funded and supported thirteen synthesis workshops, covering a multitude of topics and synthesis of knowledge that are relevant as key inputs to address the challenges and opportunities of global change in mountain social-ecological systems. Explore and learn more about previous MRI syntheses activities here.  

The outputs of these workshops are numerous and continuously growing, so we have gathered them together in an article titled “Impact Stories from MRI-Funded Synthesis Workshops” for our readers to have an overview of how these workshops can drive mountain research and bring forth tangible results, thereby sustaining ongoing impact. 

The most recent output to have originated from an MRI Synthesis Workshop is the January 2025 publication in Nature titled “Perceived climate change impacts and adaptation responses in ten African mountain regions” by main author Aida Cuni-Sanchez; you can read more about that publication here. 

The upcoming call will be published here on our website and included in our next newsletter, and will be shared on our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Bluesky accounts. Follow us to stay up-to-date on future opportunities including jobs, various funding opportunities, and calls for publications. 

Cover photo by RODRIGO TORRES on Unsplash.

Nestled between the snowy peaks of the Swiss Alps, the village of Guttannen in the Bernese Oberland is picture-postcard perfect; a place of wooden chalets and lush Alpine meadows, the gentle scenery of the valley gradually giving way to the jagged mountains above.

With a name that stems from the phrase ‘ze den guoten tannen,’ meaning by the good firs, Guttannen can be traced as far back as 1377 and, over the centuries, the people that have called the village home have weathered and adapted to the often challenging conditions that life at 1,057 meters above sea level can bring.

One of the main hazards the region has faced has been avalanches and, over time, the villagers have developed an understanding of them, and identified avalanche-safe areas for construction. As a result, the risk posed by avalanches to the present settlement area is currently considered to be low.

“One must simply have respect for avalanches. And when you’ve always lived here… I would say that I am beginning to get a bit of a sense for when they are coming. But you can always be wrong. You can never say I have this under control, nothing is going to happen to me. That is what shapes the people here somewhat: dangers. And one can’t avoid them, in a way.”

However, as climate change increases precipitation, melts the glaciers, and thaws the permafrost, the mountainsides are becoming less stable – with the result that new hazards are arising in areas that were previously considered safe.

“When it snows heavily, then you tell the small children that they can’t go beyond the village. For them, that is self-evident: you know you stay within the village.”

Unstable Slopes

In August 2005, following days of heavy rain, a debris flow of over 500,000 cubic meters swept down the channel of the Rotlouwi creek and into the valley below, covering the cantonal road and landing in the bed of the Aare river just downstream from the village of Guttannen. The subsequent backlog of water in the Aare caused a new channel to form, directing the water towards the village. While fortunately nobody was injured, the cost of the damage was several million francs.

“The masses… the masses were coming and coming and coming. And then the water came into the village, and at [our house] it was in the cellar relatively quickly. At this point, people were already being evacuated to the Bären [Hotel]. That was at 10 o’clock in the evening, and we couldn’t have gone down on foot then. A pretty torrential stream was flowing down. And then they came with a giant behemoth of a machine, and we all stepped into the front loader with our backpacks, and they drove us down to the Bären [Hotel]. I do still think about it sometimes. There was no fear, somehow. We just acted.”

A number of subsequent debris flows have occurred at Rotlouwi, while a little further downstream from Guttannen at Spreitgraben – a steep channel situated on the northeastern flank of the Ritzlihorn mountain – approximately twenty debris flows have occurred since July 2009. These flows have resulted in a cumulative volume of 700,000 cubic meters of material being deposited into the Aare River, with boulders of over 700 tonnes being dislodged from the mountainside.

“I was scared once, and it was on a Sunday. We were all here, and then my daughter said “Oh, look! Look there!” And then Hans, my husband, shouted “Lay on your stomach!” He sprang over to our eldest son and told him to “Get up! Be quick! Be quick!” And then a dust avalanche came. Just as we were hidden in the back and we were holding each other, it went WHOOMPH! And we didn’t know whether the windows would hold.”

This hazard also poses a threat to the cantonal road to the north that, for much of the year, is the only route linking Guttannen to the outside world; the Grimsel pass that connects the village to the south is usually closed between October and May due to heavy snowfall.

For an already isolated village of under 300 inhabitants where, due to sustained outmigration of younger generations seeking employment and other opportunities, every third person is over 65, any such road closure could have severe consequences.

“There has been an excitement, there has been a unity in the village… a freedom. Nobody comes, we are for ourselves. There have been festivities in the Bären [Hotel] from time to time. No closing time. No one could come to check. We were among ourselves. That, especially as a young person, is the excitement. Later on, maybe, you think about it more. If someone would fall ill… Today, you can go by helicopter. But if the weather is really bad, even a helicopter can’t fly. Then it might look a bit different. Then you worry more. But it never scares me.”

Safeguarding a Community

In the face of evolving threats to Guttannen’s future, the local community has come together. When the Grimsel Region Climate Adaptation Strategy was launched in 2016 – part of a pilot project by the Swiss federal government on addressing and managing climate change – the village founded the association Guttannen Bewegt (‘Guttannen Moves’) to further develop and implement the measures formulated there.

Central to these adaptation measures has been constant hazard monitoring and regular risk assessments. Based on the data and information gathered, decisions are then taken regarding which safety measures to introduce, such as reinforcing protective structures or updating the natural hazard zoning of the area to account for changing risks. There is also an early warning system in place to alert residents to any danger, which extends to automatically changing traffic lights in the vicinity to red to prevent motorists from entering the hazard area.

“I’ve been told that if we do something now, we won’t notice it for another 30 years. We don’t do it for ourselves, we do it for the next generation. And now [humanity] is at a stage where I think we have to go over the books a little bit in the world, [think about] what we really do. If we keep going like this, it’s not just us here in the mountains who have a problem, others will have a problem too.”

However, it is not only against natural hazards that the community is fighting; Guttannen is also rallying against its declining population and, in particular, the absence of families and young people. In 2019, with fewer than ten pupils enrolled in Guttannen’s primary school, the Canton of Bern took the decision to close it. Thanks to the efforts of the local community, a private school was found to step into the breach and secure the school’s short-term future. In the hope of attracting young families to the area and keeping the school open in the longer term, the community subsequently invested in four chalets to offer as affordable housing. It went into debt to do so, but the gamble paid off: towards the end of 2021, the first family moved in. Recent world events have also had an impact on the local population. In March 2022, the number of pupils at the primary school increased significantly with the arrival of 12 Ukrainian refugee children.

And Guttannen is opening up its community in other ways, too. It has installed an Ecocapsule, the first micro hotel of its kind in Switzerland, in order to welcome tourists. What is more, the village is now home to an ice stupa; this small artificial glacier serves both as an attraction for winter visitors and is central to a research project being conducted by the University of Fribourg that aims to study freezing and melting processes. The findings of this project are being applied in Ladakh, an arid region in the Indian Himalayas, in order to help tackle future water shortages and support local climate change adaptation.

“I wish that here in the village, which is actually experiencing climate change very strongly, people would also make the connection to their own everyday lives. In other words, [people would] see what is happening here… the slopes that are sliding are to do with our behavior, our everyday behavior. Of course, not that one points the finger at a mountain village. We live like the others. But that one says, we see this [climate change] so directly and we want to contribute to doing something about it through own behavior.”

By holding symposia and hosting excursions for university research groups and other stakeholders learning about and developing solutions to issues around climate change in mountain regions, Guttannen has also positioned itself as a useful knowledge partner – and not just for scientists and practitioners. Most recently, Guttannen launched an audio theme trail, Das Wetter und Wir, inviting visitors to the village to listen to local residents reflect on how they deal with weather extremes and climate change, and how weather shapes their everyday lives. The village hopes that, by sharing their collective experience, they might serve as a positive example of climate-resilient development.

The path ahead for Guttannen may be uncertain, but its long history is testament to the strength and ingenuity of the people who have lived there over the centuries. Now, as the villagers come together to secure their community for the future, they are learning to live alongside new challenges and create new opportunities, continuing to adapt to life in our changing mountains.

“One knows the problems here and lives with them. And can deal with them. And when it has to be that way, then I’ll leave too. I’ll leave in good time, but I won’t immediately. I won’t immediately run away. Because for those who live here, we are actually attached to this place Guttannen. And it is just… home.”

With thanks to the community of Guttannen for their kind permission to share their translated voices from Das Wetter und Wir in text form here. Das Wetter und Wir can be experienced in Guttannen year-round.

_{Header image credit: Daniel Bürki}

The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, reveals how dust storms pick up black carbon from heavily-polluted areas and deposit it in the mountains. Black carbon darkens the ice and snow, causing it to melt faster.

It’s a key insight into a persistent problem. Dwindling ice in the Himalayas has long troubled researchers and decision makers in southern Asia. Nearly two billion people rely on the water produced by Himalayan snowmelt, and glacier loss could lead to water shortages and an increase in extreme floods.

“Three of the four largest river basins in the world lie in this region,” co-author Chandan Sarangi said. “Understanding this snowmelt is a key question.”

The new study is the result of collaboration across scientific disciplines and international borders. The seeds were planted a few years ago. Sarangi’s lab had already published numerous mathematical models mapping perennial dust storms in Northern India. And they knew that black carbon was getting into the dust somewhere along the way.

In order to paint a clearer picture, Sarangi looked to pair his modeling work with long-term measurements from the field. That’s how he found co-author Rakesh Hooda, a senior research scientist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Hooda previously collected nine years of atmospheric measurements at a site in the Himalayan foothills.

Hooda’s data, paired with Sarangi’s models, revealed two distinct types of storms. The first type brews in the deserts of western India and Pakistan and travels east at low elevations. These storms mix with pollution from the heavily-populated Indo-Gangetic Plains before reaching the Himalayas.

The second type of storm starts in the Saharan Desert and travels at higher altitudes. These storms pick up very little pollution.

The new model told the researchers where the dust storms were coming from and what was in them. Now the question was how the storms impact snow and glaciers.

That’s where Rittger came in. In previous research, he had developed a model that could tease apart contributing factors to snow-darkening using satellite imagery. The team applied Rittger’s methodology to the dust storm models and once again validated the findings with on-the ground data.

The results were clear. The storms with high concentrations of pollutants melted more snow.

“You get a darkening of 26% versus 58%,” Rittger said. “The polluted dust events have double the impact.”

Previous research on diminishing glaciers in the Himalayas has often focused on global warming, but the new findings reveal a second, more local cause. To Rittger, it’s a good reminder to look for regional environmental problems that might mimic or coexist with global ones.

“It’s still a human-induced impact, it’s just not a climate change impact,” he said.

The success of this study has all of the co-authors thinking about next steps. Rittger hopes to one day expand his Snow Today website, which provides automated readouts of snow characteristics in the Western US, to Asia. Sarangi hopes to establish more field sites.

“We need more measurements to characterize the aerosols reaching the Himalayas,” he said. “It’s increasing every day.”

More information: Amit Singh Chandel et al, In Situ Characterization of Dust Storms and Their Snow‐Darkening Effect Over Himalayas, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2025). DOI: 10.1029/2024JD041874

_{Header image: Site for measuring aerosol microphysical and optical properties during dust storms, Mukteshwar, Uttarakhand, India. This central Himalayan foothills location is representative and remote, with minimal local emissions. Credit: University of Colorado at Boulder}

“Our study highlights the severity of climate change impacts in African mountains, which for many years have not been considered a major issue in central Africa – simply due to a lack of historical meteorological data,” explains study lead author Dr. Aida Cuni-Sanchez. “It also shows that farmers are trying to adapt to these changes, but that they face numerous constraints, particularly in conflict-affected regions.”

Harnessing Local Knowledge

The study, undertaken by students from eight universities across Africa, is the first to use a standardized questionnaire to interview 1,500 farmers across 10 different African mountain regions – and paints a vivid picture of the local climate shifts being observed. Farmers are reporting significant changes, including rising temperatures, reduced fog, altered rainfall patterns, and an increase in extreme events like droughts. These changes have already begun to take a toll on the livelihoods of African mountain communities, many of whom rely on agriculture for survival.

“These days the fog disappears very early in the morning in the dry season, which negatively affects the growth of maize seeds” – Farmer from the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia.

Farmers highlighted that the most widespread climate-related impacts include lower yields of crops such as maize, cassava, and coffee. Pest and disease outbreaks among crops and livestock have also worsened, with reports of reduced milk production from cows. In addition to these losses, the changing climate has negatively impacted human health, and resulted in reduced water availability. Soil erosion has also intensified, further threatening the agricultural foundation of these communities.

Adapting to a Changing World

Despite these challenges, farmers have shown remarkable resilience, adapting their farming practices in response to the changing climate. Many have adjusted planting dates or adopted new, more resilient crop varieties. The use of fertilizers and pesticides has increased, along with the implementation of soil conservation techniques to mitigate erosion and changing water availability. Farmers are also seeking additional sources of income by diversifying their livelihoods where possible, tapping into off-farm labour or exploring new business opportunities.

These adaptive measures are not without their challenges, however. Farmers across the regions face a variety of constraints that hinder their ability to fully adapt to the changing conditions. Access to credit, technical skills, and markets are crucial factors that impact the effectiveness of adaptation strategies. Farmers also highlight the need for better knowledge exchange between agricultural experts, governments, and local communities. Without these critical resources, many farmers struggle to implement sustainable changes that would help them thrive in the face of increasing climate change.

“They gave us improved maize seeds. But people here prefer to eat cassava. Few people planted those seeds that year, and even fewer the next one. They should have asked us what we wanted.” – Farmer in Bamboutos, Cameroon.

Context-Specific Challenges and Opportunities

While many adaptation challenges are shared across the different mountain regions, the study also reveals that the specific context of each region plays a key role in shaping how farmers respond. Wealthier households are generally better equipped to implement a broader range of adaptation strategies, such as investing in irrigation, soil conservation or adopting new technologies. However, in conflict-affected areas like parts of Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo, farmers are less likely to invest in long-term solutions due to the insecurity that prevents them from committing to strategies like agroforestry or soil conservation, which require time to yield results.

“You can move your cows to another village during insecurity, but you can’t move your crops.” – Farmer from the Itombwe Mountains, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Interestingly, the study found that adaptation in some East African sites was more transformational than in others, thanks to stronger social capital. In these areas, communities with a higher degree of collaboration and mutual support were better able to implement more ambitious, long-term strategies, signalling that strong social ties can play an important role in successful climate adaptation.

The Way Forward: Inclusive and Contextual Solutions

This research underscores the urgent need to recognize the climate vulnerabilities of African mountain regions, which have often been overlooked in broader climate change discussions. The study reveals that while farmers are adapting to climate change, their efforts are largely incremental—small, reactive changes rather than large-scale transformations. However, it also highlights that adaptation can be more transformational in certain contexts, particularly where social capital is strong.

To help farmers in these regions better cope with the changing climate, the study calls for more inclusive adaptation strategies that involve local communities in the decision-making process. By considering farmers’ preferences and leveraging their deep local knowledge, interventions can be better tailored to meet the specific needs of each community. Additionally, addressing barriers such as access to credit, markets, and technical training is crucial to unlocking the potential for more sustainable, large-scale adaptation.

With climate change set to intensity, the findings from this study provide a clearer picture of how these communities are already feeling its impacts and, crucially, how they are striving to adapt to them. Moving forward, it is essential for scientists, policymakers, and practitioners to prioritize these regions and collaborate with local communities in order to build resilience for the future.

Reflecting on the study, lead author Dr. Cuni-Sanchez also underlines the novelty of the approach used: “In most African mountains there are no meteorological stations, or long-term records of crop yields. Just because changes have not been recorded, it doesn’t mean they did not take place. We approached farmers’ perceptions and their indigenous knowledge as living records of past changes, and we show that there have been numerous climatic changes and impacts, in all mountains studied. We hope that our approach [locally relevant standardised questionnaires] inspires researchers and practitioners working in other data-deficient regions, as climate change is affecting us all.”

Citation: Cuni-Sanchez, A., Aneseyee, A.B., Baderha, G.K.R. et al. ‘Perceived Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Responses in Ten African Mountain Regions.’ Nat. Clim. Chang. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02221-w

This research received funding from the Mountain Research Initiative through our Synthesis Workshops funding programme.

_{Cover image: Planting fruit trees to help diversify livelihoods. Location: Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. Photo credit: Rob Marchant.}