An environment conference opened in Nepal to discuss global climate change, including the impact on the highest Himalayan peaks where snow and ice are melting.
The three-day conference in Kathmandu, titled “Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity,” is expected to include discussions of critical climate issues.
“From the lap of Sagarmatha (Everest), the world’s highest peak, we send this message loud and clear that to protect the mountains is to protect the planet. To protect the mountains is to protect our seas. To protect the mountains is to protect humanity itself,” Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli told participants at the opening meeting yesterday.
A high level of glaciers melting in the Himalayan mountains because of global warming has raised significant concerns.
Scientists have warned the Himalayan mountains could lose up to 80% of their glaciers if the Earth warms in coming decades or centuries.
Flash floods and avalanches could become more likely in coming years. — AP
