From November 13 to 17 of this year, the International Symposium on the Third Pole Environment, known as “ISTPE,” took place at the Tibetan Plateau Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Representatives from the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea region participated in the symposium at the invitation of its head, Academician Professor Yao Tandong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They provided information to the participants about the center’s activities, as well as the extensive work undertaken to combat desertification and establish protective forests on the dried bottom of the Aral Sea. The measures taken in Uzbekistan, initiated by the head of state, received enthusiastic applause and interest from the symposium participants. The symposium’s purpose is to promote awareness of the Third Pole, showcase scientific advancements and their societal relevance, and enhance understanding of the environment for early adaptation to climate change. The event underscored the importance of the Third Pole (Tibetan Plateau) as a critical region with high glaciers, playing a significant role in monitoring climate change.
- Symposium topics encompassed:
- climate change on the Tibetan Plateau and its global connections,
- the hydrological cycle and water security,
- ecosystems and biodiversity,
- environment and health,
- high-resolution paleoclimate records and abrupt climate change,
- prehistoric human activity,
- the influence of the Plateau on climatic and organic evolution,
- uplift of the plateau and its impact on mineralogy and petrology,
- natural disasters, and the integration of observations, models, and data,
- emphasizing the connection between knowledge and action.
