It is well known that the cryosphere is very sensitive to climate change, and therefore considered as a barometer of climate change. On the other hand, climate change also may cause changes in cryospheric hazards in terms of extent, intensity, frequency and duration. 

To maintain the prosperity in the cryosphere without compromising the ability of future generation to continue sharing its benefits even under climate change, it is required for us to adapt to the change, minimize risks and effectively utilize cryospheric resources by taking more sustainable approaches in our development. 

Recently, a research group led by Prof. WANG Xiaoming from Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources (NIEER) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed a unified approach in the analysis of cryospheric risks and services, with one focusing on the adverse impacts by cryospheric hazards and another emphasizing on the benefits that people can obtain from the natural capitals in the cryosphere. 

This study further proposed a risk-based approach in developing climate adaptation, reducing exposure and vulnerability to cryospheric hazards while enhancing the natural capitals and utility to maintain the benefit of services under changing cryophere. 

Meanwhile, the study also indicates that climate change could further alter and complicate the roles of the cryosphere, not only by the changes in risks to cryospheric hazards, but also the changes in services that could potentially add more risks. 

This study defines the pathways to explore risk reduction options, improve adaptive capacity, and better the benefit that can be provided to societies by the cryosphere. At the end, it is to understand how the cryosphere effectively and practically contribute to the sustainable development goals. 

Overall, the approach developed in this study creates a new way to comprehensively assess the effect of cryosphere changes on our society and identify measures to maximize the benefit while minimizing the risk in relation to the cryosphere. 

The study entitled “A new look at roles of the cryosphere in sustainable development” was published in Advances in Climate Change Research. 

Potential contributions of the cryosphere to sustainable development (Image by WANG Xiaoming) 

Contact: 

WANG Xiaoming 

E-mail: xiaomingwang@lzb.ac.cn 

State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.