The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, have signed a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a climate observation station in the Himalayan region, a move aimed at strengthening climate change research and long-term atmospheric monitoring under the Bharat Climate Observation Network (BCON).
The agreement, signed online on June 18 by IITM Director Dr A. Suryachandra Rao and ARIES Director Dr Manish Kumar Naja, will remain in force for more than 50 years and will facilitate collaborative research through sustained observations of climate variables.
As part of the partnership, a Climate Observation Station will be established at ARIES’ Devasthal campus in Uttarakhand. The facility will monitor meteorological parameters, greenhouse gases, short-lived climate forcers, atmospheric chemistry and soil moisture to generate long-term climate data.
Located at a high altitude, Devasthal offers relatively pristine conditions that are well-suited for advanced atmospheric observations. Scientists will use the site to study greenhouse gases, the transport of climate-relevant pollutants and climate processes over the Himalayan region.
BCON, a national initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences implemented by IITM, aims to build a long-term, high-precision climate monitoring framework across India. The network is expected to generate high-quality datasets that will help detect long-term climate trends, strengthen climate research and support evidence-based policymaking.
The data generated through BCON will also help validate and improve Earth System Models, including IITM’s Earth System Model, enabling more accurate climate simulations and future projections for India.
Scientists from IITM’s Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR), including Dr Suvarna Fadnavis and Dr Yogesh Tiwari, along with ARIES scientists Dr Umesh Kumar Dumka and Dr Priyanka Srivastava, were also present during the online signing ceremony.
