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“A hundred divine epochs would not suffice to describe all the marvels of the Himalayas”
- Sanskrit proverb
Kathmandu, Nepal- The Government of Nepal has planned to hold the Cabinet meeting at Gorakshep near the Mt. Everest Base Camp on December 4, 2009. The high level meeting of the government on the laps of the majestic Himalayas is a step further to express our commitment to safeguarding the environmental sanctity of the Himalayas for the common interests
of the locals to global communities. We do so with the recognition that the Himalayan range is one of the three major spots on this planet that is going through a climatic change that has a far-reaching global consequences. The other two are the Amazonian rain forest and the polar ice caps. Nepal's position is unique in this debate as it is centrally located in the middle of 3000 kilometer long Himalayan range which covers several countries including two of the most populated countries on the planet -- China and India. This meeting at the base camp is an example of our green action. It is just a beginning of a long-term goal towards making Nepal a green nation.
The majestic Himalayas have inspired awe and religious devotion in people around the world for millennia and continue to challenge the human spirit and contribute to the human experience. The Himalayas are the water towers of Asia feeding its largest river systems and nourishing hundreds of millions of people downstream. They play a vital role in global atmospheric circulation and are a sanctuary for unique biodiversity. The lofty peaks and mighty rivers emanating from the Himalayas have inspired civilizations and now support a mosaic of cultural diversity. The Himalayas, in essence, are a global treasure. And as the proverb goes -- we cannot describe the marvels of the Himalayas.
But the climate change impacts have seriously threatened this treasure. Temperatures are rising rapidly at higher altitudes – several times higher than the global average. Glaciers are melting – changing landscapes and creating dangerous glacial lakes held back only by natural dams of rubble and ice. The ensuing changes threaten unique ecosystems and the lives of millions of people living in the mountains and downstream who eke out their livelihoods from diverse mountain resources. The menace of climate change on the Himalayas will manifest far and wide extending to the coasts in the form of drought, flood, and sea level rise. As the sea rises, there is no refuge from climate change even at the highest altitudes.
Nepal, being centrally located in the Himalayas, has to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change on the Himalayas, and therefore rightfully placed to raise the concern for the Himalayas. As we are closing in towards the Fifteenth Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, the Government of Nepal would avow its commitment to protect the Himalayan Sanctity. And as a gesture to this commitment we are holding cabinet meeting just at the laps of the majestic peak. This event will enjoin the Summiteers’ Summit to Save the Himalayas being held in Copenhagen on December 11, 2009, the International Mountain Day.
The Cabinet meeting will make some important decisions which will help in ensuring the environmental integrity of the Himalayas. Several institutions like Everest Summiteers Association, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Trekking Agents’ Association of Nepal, Expedition Operator Association, Himalayan Rescue Association, National Trust for Nature Conservation, all the domestic airlines operating in Nepal, and other agencies have joined hands with the government to express their solidarity to safeguard the Himalayas.
- Sanskrit proverb
Kathmandu, Nepal- The Government of Nepal has planned to hold the Cabinet meeting at Gorakshep near the Mt. Everest Base Camp on December 4, 2009. The high level meeting of the government on the laps of the majestic Himalayas is a step further to express our commitment to safeguarding the environmental sanctity of the Himalayas for the common interests
of the locals to global communities. We do so with the recognition that the Himalayan range is one of the three major spots on this planet that is going through a climatic change that has a far-reaching global consequences. The other two are the Amazonian rain forest and the polar ice caps. Nepal's position is unique in this debate as it is centrally located in the middle of 3000 kilometer long Himalayan range which covers several countries including two of the most populated countries on the planet -- China and India. This meeting at the base camp is an example of our green action. It is just a beginning of a long-term goal towards making Nepal a green nation.The majestic Himalayas have inspired awe and religious devotion in people around the world for millennia and continue to challenge the human spirit and contribute to the human experience. The Himalayas are the water towers of Asia feeding its largest river systems and nourishing hundreds of millions of people downstream. They play a vital role in global atmospheric circulation and are a sanctuary for unique biodiversity. The lofty peaks and mighty rivers emanating from the Himalayas have inspired civilizations and now support a mosaic of cultural diversity. The Himalayas, in essence, are a global treasure. And as the proverb goes -- we cannot describe the marvels of the Himalayas.
But the climate change impacts have seriously threatened this treasure. Temperatures are rising rapidly at higher altitudes – several times higher than the global average. Glaciers are melting – changing landscapes and creating dangerous glacial lakes held back only by natural dams of rubble and ice. The ensuing changes threaten unique ecosystems and the lives of millions of people living in the mountains and downstream who eke out their livelihoods from diverse mountain resources. The menace of climate change on the Himalayas will manifest far and wide extending to the coasts in the form of drought, flood, and sea level rise. As the sea rises, there is no refuge from climate change even at the highest altitudes.
Nepal, being centrally located in the Himalayas, has to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change on the Himalayas, and therefore rightfully placed to raise the concern for the Himalayas. As we are closing in towards the Fifteenth Conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen, the Government of Nepal would avow its commitment to protect the Himalayan Sanctity. And as a gesture to this commitment we are holding cabinet meeting just at the laps of the majestic peak. This event will enjoin the Summiteers’ Summit to Save the Himalayas being held in Copenhagen on December 11, 2009, the International Mountain Day.
The Cabinet meeting will make some important decisions which will help in ensuring the environmental integrity of the Himalayas. Several institutions like Everest Summiteers Association, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Trekking Agents’ Association of Nepal, Expedition Operator Association, Himalayan Rescue Association, National Trust for Nature Conservation, all the domestic airlines operating in Nepal, and other agencies have joined hands with the government to express their solidarity to safeguard the Himalayas.
