Overview
The Mountain Observatories Working Group brings together an international and interdisciplinary community of experts to advance long-term observation and monitoring of mountain social-ecological systems.
Building on the Global Network of Mountain Observatories (GNOMO), established in 2015, the Working Group supports the development of coordinated observation networks that generate comparable data across mountain regions worldwide. These observations span climate, hydrology, ecology, land use, and governance, providing an integrated understanding of mountain environments and societies.
A key objective of the Working Group is to facilitate the development of a network of mountain ‘super-sites’, where observations are conducted across multiple themes and disciplines. These super-sites also serve as regional hubs for monitoring, collaboration, and data sharing.
Established: 2019
Current Phase: Second Phase
The MRI Working Groups are open to all members of the MRI network. Information on how to join can be found at the bottom of this page.
Objectives
The Working Group aims to:
- Facilitate long-term, multidisciplinary monitoring of mountain environments.
- Support the development of regional networks of mountain observatories.
- Improve access to information, metadata, and data collected by mountain observatories worldwide.
Focus Areas
The Working Group focuses on:
- Providing information about mountain observatories, observation networks, and available datasets.
- Supporting researchers and practitioners in establishing and maintaining long-term mountain monitoring networks.
- Developing metrics and indicators that promote consistency and comparability across mountain observatories.
- Collaborating with GEO Mountains, the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), and thematic and regional networks to strengthen mountain observation efforts.
Activities, Outputs, and Achievements
Ongoing Work
Current activities include:
- Establishing collaboration with regional and thematic networks to develop long-term monitoring in the target regions
- Virtual Alpine Observatory (with the focus on the Caucasus region)
- Third Pole Regional Climate Centre / Network
- IAEA ‘Understanding glacier melt through isotope analysis’ Collaborative Research Project
- Andean Climate Change – Observations, Research and Discovery (ACCORD) Programme aimed at improving observations and creation of a shared observational database in the Andes
- Contributing to the GEO Symposium and ODOK Workshop and the development of a new GEO Work Programme
- Contributing to the International Mountain Conference where sessions dedicated to interdisciplinary monitoring, observations, and data are planned
- Collaboration with the Elevation-dependent Climate Change group assisting in the production of publications
- Assisting the UHOP project in the development of high-elevation monitoring
- Contributing to the Mountain Valorisation through Interconnectedness and Green growth (MOVING) project
Publications and Research Outputs
Key Working Group publications include:
- Thornton, J. , Pepin, N. , Shahgedanova, M. ORC id 0000-0002-2320-3885 , Adler, C. (2022) Coverage of in situ climatological observations in the world’s mountains. Frontiers in climate , 4 ISSN: 2624-9553. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2022.814181
- ·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
Data Products and Resources
The Working Group supports the development and dissemination of key mountain observation resources, including:
- Contributions to the GEO Mountains inventory of mountain observation infrastructure, building on the legacy of GNOMO.
- Provision of metadata on and data from the Central Asia Mountain Observatories Network. The development of this product was funded by the MRI Small Grants scheme, project CAMON Open Science.
- Provision of metadata on and data from the Network of the Andean Socio-Ecological Observatories
Events and Presentations
Selected activities include:
- Essential Mountain Climate Variables presentation at the inaugural forum of the Third Pole Regional Climate Centre / Network (June 2024).
- GEO Mountains Regional Workshop Series (2023–2024), including workshops focused on:
- Central Asia
- High Mountain Asia
- South Caucasus
- East Africa
- Tropical Andes
- Inter- and Transdisciplinary Mountain Data Across Central Asia: Identifying User Requirements and Access Preferences (October 2021).
Working Group Participants
Working Group Lead
- Maria Shahgedanova, University of Reading, UK | Visit Webpage
Members
- Aster Gebrekirstos, World Agroforestry Centre, Kenya
- Ricardo Grau, National University of Tucumán, Argentina
- Christian Huggel, University of Zürich, Switzerland
- Rob Marchant, University of York, UK
- Mathias Vuille, University at Albany, USA
How to Join
MRI Working Groups are community-led initiatives open to all members of the MRI network. Researchers and practitioners from all backgrounds and career stages are welcome to participate. Early career researchers (typically within five years of completing a postgraduate degree), women, and colleagues from developing countries and underrepresented mountain regions are particularly encouraged to get involved.
The first step to joining an MRI Working Group is becoming part of the MRI network. You can do this by creating a profile in the MRI Expert Database. By joining the network, you become part of a vibrant international community of more than 10,000 experts working across research, policy, and practice, united by a shared commitment to mountain regions worldwide.
As a member of the MRI network, you can apply for MRI funding opportunities, participate in Working Groups, and engage in a range of collaborative activities.
Once you have joined the MRI network, you can become a member of the Mountain Observatories Working Group by completing the form below. You will be added to the Working Group mailing list and receive updates on research collaborations, events, knowledge exchange activities, and other opportunities to contribute to the group’s work.
If you have any questions about the Mountain Observatories Working Group or its activities, please contact Working Group Lead Maria Shahgedanova.
Join the MRI Mountain Observatories Working Group
