WMO - TPRCC Network

Third Pole Regional Climate

Center Network - Southern Node

Third Pole Regional Climate Center (TPRCC)

The Great Himalaya is popularly known as the third considering the physiographical and climatological features similar to the north and south poles of the Earth. It stretches from the Pamir-Hindu Kush region in the west, the Hengduan Mountains in the east, the Tienshan and Qilian mountain ranges to the north and the Himalayas foothills over India to the south. It encompasses over 5 million square kilometers with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters above mean sea level. There are about 100,000 glaciers throughout the Third Pole, with a a total volume of 8,800 cubic kilometers. It hosts the largest ice mass outside the Polar Regions, hence it is also internationally acknowledged as the Third Pole on earth. The melted water from the glaciers of the Third Pole ensures the permanent flow of Asia's major river systems. The current and future environmental changes at the Third Pole are likely to majorly impact the lives of more than 2 billion people in the region. The Third Pole (TP) has special relevance to India as it is the Source of 12 major rivers of the Indian subcontinent and protects the Indian subcontinent from the icy cold winds of Central Asia.

• The TP spreads across 12 countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). More than 2 billion people depend on its resources within and around the TP regions many of whom still live in poverty. With a warming rate higher than the global average, the region is identified as one of the most vulnerable regions on Earth to environmental and climate changes. Previous studies have demonstrated the thermal and dynamic effects of the TP on the the circulation system of the westerlies and Asian monsoon, as well as global atmospheric circulation and climate. Extremes in precipitation increased over the TP in the past century. Annual mean daily precipitation increased significantly and positively correlated with elevation. Studies have shown that variability in Western disturbances has increased in the recent years, leading to a higher propensity of winter precipitation in the Western Himalayas and Karakorum. The projected warming could significantly change the TP's atmospheric heat source/sink, which would further impact Asian monsoon systems.