Nathatop Himalayan Atmospheric and Climate Research Centre
Why in the news
On April 11, 2025 Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh opened India’s first high-altitude atmospheric and climate research centre in the north-western Himalayas.
Key facts
- Site: Nathatop, Jammu & Kashmir, at 2,250 m.
- Studies: atmospheric processes, cloud formation, aerosol-climate interactions.
- Clean, low-pollution air allows free-troposphere data collection for climate models.
- Affiliation: proposed part of WMO’s Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW); to work with IMD.
ICE-CRUNCH project
- Full theme: ice nucleating particles and cloud condensation nuclei in the North-Western Himalayas.
- Partners: ETH Zürich (Switzerland) and the Central University of Jammu.
- Goal: understand rainfall and snowfall patterns and climate behaviour in the Himalayas.
Partners
| Partner | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Earth Sciences; Ministry of Science & Technology | Indian ministries involved |
| Central University of Jammu | Research partner |
| J&K Forest Department | Contributed land |
| Swiss National Science Foundation | International expertise |
Future goals
- Feed live data to global climate models and build home-grown modelling skills.
- Train young scientists; act as a national knowledge hub with climate education.
Related efforts
- Three weather radars in J&K and a seismological observatory at Udhampur.
- 185% budget hike for Mission Mausam; support for the Aroma and Floriculture Missions.
Exam angle
- Place: Nathatop; altitude 2,250 m; global network: WMO GAW.