Bhutan installs high-altitude black carbon monitoring station near Shodug Glacier to study glacier melt

Bhutan's National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology, working with ICIMOD, has set up the country's first high-altitude black carbon monitoring station at 5,168 meters near the Shodug Glacier. The station uses a Starlink connection to send real-time data on black carbon, a soot particle from incomplete combustion that darkens snow and ice, speeding up glacier melt. This fills a gap in Bhutan's ability to track how this pollutant affects its high mountain glaciers. Black carbon travels long distances and settles on glaciers, reducing their reflectivity and increasing heat absorption. The new station will help scientists understand how much black carbon reaches Bhutan's glaciers and how it contributes to glacier retreat and glacial lake expansion. Data will support climate and water resource research in the region. The station is among the highest of its kind in the Himalayas and globally. It reflects growing international efforts to monitor black carbon, which also harms public health. The project aims to address knowledge gaps and provide evidence for policy on reducing emissions from sources like diesel, coal, and biomass burning.