IITM, ARIES partner to set up climate monitoring station in Himalayas

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, have joined hands to establish a long term climate monitoring station in Uttarakhand's Himalayan region under the Bharat Climate Observation Network (BCON), marking a significant step towards strengthening India's climate observation capabilities.
According to information, the agreement was signed online on June 18 by IITM Director Dr A. Suryachandra Rao and ARIES Director Dr Manish Kumar Naja. The proposed station will be set up at Devasthal, a high altitude research site operated by ARIES in Uttarakhand.The collaboration aims to generate continuous observations of key climate indicators, including weather parameters, greenhouse gases, short lived climate pollutants and soil moisture. Scientists say such long term measurements are crucial for understanding how climate patterns are evolving, particularly in environmentally sensitive regions like the Himalayas.
Located away from major urban centres, Devasthal offers relatively clean atmospheric conditions, making it well suited for tracking baseline greenhouse gas levels and studying changes in air quality and climate related processes.The station will become part of the Bharat Climate Observation Network, a national initiative developed by IITM under the Ministry of Earth Sciences to build a robust climate monitoring system across different geographical regions of the country.
Researchers involved in the project said the data collected through the network will help identify long term climate trends, improve climate assessments and support evidence based policy decisions. It is also expected to strengthen scientific understanding of the Himalayan environment, which is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Another key objective is to improve climate modelling. Observations from the Devasthal station will provide valuable validation data for Earth System Models, including the IITM Earth System Model, helping scientists refine projections of future climate conditions over India.Officials said the initiative reflects growing efforts to expand India's climate research infrastructure and improve the quality of scientific data available for studying changes in weather and climate.Scientists from IITM's Centre for Climate Change Research and researchers from ARIES were present during the online signing ceremony.