Mountains are characterised by steep environmental gradients, and hydrological processes in mountain areas exhibit a high degree of spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics. Therefore, mountains are particularly challenging for hydrological research, and our understanding of the water balance components in mountains and their interplay is still incomplete. Especially with view to assessing today's and tomorrow's water resources originating in mountains, there is great need to improve our knowledge of all aspects of mountain hydrology.

We welcome contributions from all mountain regions of the world, irrespective of scale and geographic region. Contributions could cover

* studies of the present state of all components of the water cycle in mountains, including assessments of water resources;
* projections for states and processes under scenarios of global change;
* reconstruction of past conditions;
* application and development of models, including their parameterisation and verification;
* observation networks;
* examination of anthropogenic influences on the water cycle in mountains (e.g. dams, land use change);
* coupling of mountain hydrology with mountain climatology and meteorology.

Solicited speaker:
Marc Bierkens, Utrecht University
"Quantifying the Water Tower of the Third Pole: State of the Art and Research Challenges"