The Mountain Observatories Working Group brings together an international and interdisciplinary group of experts to build on the Global Network of Mountain Observatories (GNOMO), established in 2015 to create a network that would generate comparable data on mountain social-ecological systems, from climate and hydrology to ecology, human use, and governance. This Working Group aims to facilitate the development of a network of mountain super-sites where observations will be conducted at multi-thematic scale. These super-sites will also work as 'hubs' for regional monitoring.

This Working Group was created in 2019 and is in its second phase (2020-2021). 

Working Group Lead

• Maria Shahgedanova, University of Reading, UK | Visit Webpage

Members

Outputs and Achievements to date

• PUBLICATION | MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES: STATUS AND PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCING AND CONNECTING A GLOBAL COMMUNITY
  
  Shahgedanova, M., Adler, C., Gebrekirstos, A., Grau, H. R., Huggel, C., Marchant, R., Pepin, N., Vanacker, V., Viviroli, D., & Vuille, M. (2021). Mountain Observatories: Status and Prospects for Enhancing and Connecting a Global Community. Mountain Research and Development, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00054.1

 Planned Activities and Outputs for 2021

• Assisting GEO Mountains with developing an inventory of predominantly research-oriented in situ mountain observation infrastructure, continuing and expanding the legacy of GNOMO (while not all sites in the GEO Mountains inventory are “observatories” according to the definition in Shahgedanova et al. (2021), once the inventory is more fully populated, the MO WG will prioritize identifying sites/regions that meet the criteria of “observatories”)
• Workshop and subsequent report with GEO Mountains: Inter- and transdisciplinary mountain data across Central Asia: Identifying user requirements and access preferences (October 2021)
• Paper reporting data from the Tuyuksu Mountain Observatory in Central Asia in preparation

MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES: STATUS AND PROSPECTS TO ENHANCE AND CONNECT A GLOBAL COMMUNITY (30 June 2021)

New research undertaken by the MRI Mountain Observatories Working Group identifies both gaps and recent advances in the monitoring of key biophysical and socioeconomic variables in the mountains, and proposes ways to improve and connect existing initiatives – with the ultimate aim of developing a global mountain observatories network. Lead author Maria Shahgedanova explains why making these connections for our changing mountains is so crucial.

Read more here.

UPDATES FROM THE MRI WORKING GROUPS (24 February 2021)

Despite the challenges of 2020, and 2021 so far, the five MRI Working Groups have exciting updates to report!

Read more here. 

MOUNTAIN OBSERVATORIES WORKING GROUP REPRESENTED MRI AT THE INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN CONFERENCE 2019 (30 September 2019)

Members of the working group Represented MRI at the International Mountain Conference 2019, Innsbruck, Austria, delivering presentations, posters and participating in a range of sessions.

Read more here.

GEO-GNOME WORKSHOP ON ESSENTIAL CLIMATE VARIABLES FOR MOUNTAINS (30 September 2019)

The working group lead Maria Shahgedanova participated and presented plans of the Mountain Observatories Working Group at the GEO-GNOME ‘Essential Climate Variables for Observations in Mountains’.

Read more here.

As community-led activities, these Working Groups are open to anyone from the MRI network  to participate and contribute to the Working Group’s work plan. Early career researchers (typically up to 5 years since attaining a postgraduate degree), women, and researchers and practitioners from developing countries and less represented mountain regions are particularly encouraged to join and participate. Please contact the Working Group lead to seek information on how to join:

• Maria Shahgedanova, University of Reading, UK | Visit Webpage