In July, experts from IPCC Working Group II met in Kathmandu, Nepal, to continue preparing their contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). Among them was MRI Executive Director Carolina Adler, selected to co-lead the AR6 Cross-Chapter Paper on Mountains.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II – which deals with impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability to climate change – met in Kathmandu, Nepal, 15-19 July 2019 to advance their contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). This Second Lead Author Meeting for AR6 brought together more than 260 authors and IPCC Bureau members from more than 60 countries. It was hosted by the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Government of Nepal, in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

“Meeting here in Kathmandu reminds us in a very direct way of the strong interdependence of human and natural systems, and how both are threatened by climate change,” said Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts.

“The purpose of our report is to provide options for adaptation action that will enable cities like Kathmandu and ecosystems such as the high mountains to thrive and contribute towards improved well-being and sustainable development. Key aspects of our report and reasons to act on climate change are very evident here.”

The Working Group II contribution to AR6 will provide governments with an assessment of the latest scientific knowledge about the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and human systems and their vulnerabilities. It will also analyse the capacities and limits of these systems to adapt to climate change, and explore options to reduce climate-associated risks and to create a sustainable future.

Making Sure Mountains Matter

Following the announcement last year that Carolina Adler of the MRI and Philippus Wester of ICIMOD had been chosen to co-lead the Cross-Chapter Paper on Mountains as part of the Working Group II contribution to AR6, they too met with their co-authors in Kathmandu. As part of the preparation of their contribution to the First Order Draft of the report, they also addressed comments made by experts from various disciplines during an informal review of the initial draft, which took place in advance of July's Second Lead Author Meeting.

"We received fantastic input from the internal review process and those experts that shared their guidance. I very much look forward to consolidating this feedback into our contribution to AR6 during the week ahead in Kathmandu," said Adler at the start of the meeting. 

"Alongside my fellow authors, I am very grateful for this opportunity to continue to work on the AR6 Cross-Chapter Paper on Mountains, ensuring our changing mountains have a voice in this important publication."

This informal review is a key stage in the development of the report, as Working-Group II Co-Chair Hans-Otto Pörtner explained. 

“The internal draft and its careful review by experts have helped us to set the course for our assessment,” said Pörtner. “Based on this, we will be able to provide governments with in-depth information for their efforts to reduce risks from climate change for ecosystems and human society, protect biodiversity, eradicate poverty, and enhance sustainable development.”

Carolina Adler and Philippus Wester at WMF 2018

AR6 Cross-Chapter Paper on Mountains co-leads Carolina Adler (MRI) and Philippus Wester (ICIMOD) pictured at the World Mountain Forum 2018, held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Next Steps for AR6

The First Order Draft will be available for Expert Review from 18 October to 13 December 2019. The Second Order Draft will be open for Government and Expert Review from 7 August to 2 October 2020, along with the first draft of the Summary for Policymakers. The IPCC Panel is due to consider the Working Group II contribution to AR6 at a plenary session taking place 4-8 October 2021.

In 2022, a Synthesis Report integrating the three Working Group contributions and Special Reports will complete the sixth assessment cycle. It will be released in time to inform the 2023 global stocktake by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), when countries will review progress towards the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming to well below 2°C while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.


Further information about the Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, including the outline, the timeline, and a link to the author database can be found on the IPCC website.

Read the original IPCC press release about this event on the IPCC website. 

Cover image: Ambir Tolang


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