35 Years of High-Altitude Research at the Third Pole


ROME, March 3, 2026 - This afternoon at the Arctic Circle Forum Rome, the session “Science on the Roof of the World: The Third Pole Sentinel and Pyramid Lab” brought the Third Pole to the center of the international climate debate. Co-organized by the EvK2CNR Association, the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the event highlighted the strategic importance of the Third Pole for global climate stability and water security.

The Third Pole — encompassing the Himalayas, Hindu Kush and the Tibetan Plateau — is the largest reservoir of snow and ice outside the Arctic and Antarctica and a vital freshwater source for more than one billion people. As one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth, it represents a crucial sentinel of global climate change.

A Platform for International Scientific Cooperation

By convening leading scientists and international institutions, the session strengthened scientific cooperation on the study of the Third Pole, promoting data sharing, integrated observation strategies and science-based policy dialogue. A central focus was the value of sustained, interdisciplinary and coordinated global monitoring efforts to safeguard this critical region — a true “Third Pole” connecting mountains, ice and people worldwide.

Speakers included:

  • Paolo Laj, Chief of the Global Atmosphere Watch Programme at the World Meteorological Organization, who presented The GAW’s Strategic Vision for Understanding and Protecting the Third Pole Climate, emphasizing the importance of long-term atmospheric observations within the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch framework.
  • Karen Oltsen, ICIMOD, who underlined the role of regional cooperation in addressing transboundary climate and water challenges.
  • Angela Marinoni (ISAC-CNR), who illustrated over 5000-meter high-altitude atmospheric research conducted in the Himalayas.
  • Guglielmina Diolaiuti, Professor at the University of Milan, who addressed the evolution of the Third Pole cryosphere and its global climate implications.
  • Yaoming Ma, Professor and Deputy Director at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who discussed the Third Pole as a critical engine of climate and water security in a warming world.

The session was moderated by Giuliana Panieri, Director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of CNR, who connected the dialogue between the Arctic and the Third Pole, reinforcing the concept of an interconnected system of global “poles.”

EvK2CNR and the Pyramid: 35 Years of High-Altitude Science

A special emphasis was placed on the 35-year scientific legacy of the Pyramid International Laboratory/Observatory, established through collaboration between EvK2CNR, CNR and Nepalese partners. Located at 5,050 meters in the Khumbu Valley, the Pyramid stands as a benchmark site for atmospheric, cryospheric and environmental research at extreme altitude.

Through the Nepal Climate Observatory at Pyramid — part of the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch network — and multi-decadal monitoring of meteorology, atmospheric composition, glacier mass balance and hydrology, the laboratory has generated invaluable datasets documenting glacier retreat, atmospheric change and hydrological shifts across the region.

The Pyramid also hosts cutting-edge research in high-altitude medicine and human physiology, reinforcing its interdisciplinary nature and its global relevance.

Piramide Laboratory: Strengthening Global Mountain Research

Within this framework, the Piramide Laboratory further consolidates EvK2CNR’s leadership in international mountain research, enhancing integrated monitoring capabilities and strengthening collaboration between Europe and Asia. By combining atmospheric science, cryosphere research, hydrology and human-environment studies, Ev-K2-CNR continues to position itself as a key actor in global environmental observation networks.

The session reaffirmed that sustained high-mountain research infrastructures such as the Pyramid are essential to improve climate models, support water-resource management and advance sustainable development strategies. As climate change accelerates, the Third Pole stands as both a warning signal and a source of knowledge — and EvK2CNR remains at the forefront of understanding and protecting this critical region.