Dr Manasi Debnath, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Nagaland University, Lumami, represented India at the Regional Dialogue on Permafrost Research in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 30 and 31.
The high-level scientific dialogue, held under ICIMOD’s Climate and Environmental Risks programme, brought together experts and representatives from Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Participants reviewed the current state of Himalayan permafrost research, identified major knowledge and observation gaps, and discussed ways to strengthen transboundary scientific cooperation.
Dr Debnath presented an Eastern Himalayan perspective, highlighting how permafrost degradation, glacier retreat and changing glacial lake dynamics are contributing to cascading hazards, including landslides, debris flows and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). She noted that these threats are placing growing pressure on mountain communities, infrastructure and water resources.
The dialogue called for a coordinated Himalayan permafrost monitoring and research network combining field observations, remote sensing, modelling and regional knowledge exchange. Dr Debnath’s participation further strengthened Nagaland University’s contribution to cryosphere research and regional climate change studies.