Sagarmatha Dialogue should lead towards de-documenting the issue of Himalayas by bringing the mountainous and coastal countries of the world together.
The effect of greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting increase in the temperature of the earth has been seen in the climate. Due to the effects of climate change, mountainous countries like Nepal are more affected. For the past few years, Nepal has been organizing various programs to draw the world's attention to the problems faced by the Himalayan countries due to climate change.
The cabinet meeting in Kalapathar in 2009, the rally held in Copenhagen, the discussions organized last year and the various 'dialogues' organized by the government during the United Nations Climate Conference are a continuation of that. As a continuation of the same, Nepal is organizing the first Everest Dialogue on 'Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humankind'.
The programs and conferences organized by Nepal regarding the impact of climate change on the Himalayan country and the problems faced by its people should be taken positively. Such discussions have exposed and broadened the problems created by climate change through researchers, experts and campaigners in this field.
The impact on the mountains not only puts the mountain countries at risk, but also affects the low-lying coastal areas. So it is a good idea to bring this issue together with the mountain and coastal issues. But in the United Nations forum, the Himal issue has not been discussed as widely and intensively as it should be in climate change issues. Coastal countries have a stronger case than mountain countries. Therefore, the solidarity of other countries is also needed to strengthen the Himal issue.
The reason for the weakness of the Himal issue is that the Himalayan countries cannot move forward as one. At least the Everest dialogue organized by Nepal should be able to strengthen the definition of the mountain and it should become a common issue of the countries that have mountains. The list of countries with mountains and mountainous terrain in Asia and Central Asia includes Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan etc. Countries like Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, Peru, Mexico are also included in the list of mountainous countries. Ironically, when Nepal raised the Himal issue, neighboring countries like India and China have not yet raised this issue. The mountain is also in India and China. Therefore, if the subject of the mountain can be made an issue of the countries connected to the mountain, the significance of the Everest dialogue will surely increase.
Nepal should lead it through diplomatic channels and at least continue the initiative of Nepal towards mentioning the Himal issue in the document of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Nepal is now in the initial stage. Nepal has an opportunity to move forward by integrating countries that have similar interests.
issue of Himalayan and coastal countries
Melting mountains also affect coastal countries. Therefore, the issue of mountains is also a problem of coastal countries. Coastal countries also need to be brought together on the mountain issue. Melting of glaciers worldwide has led to an estimated 21 percent rise in sea level over the past two decades. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), sea levels are rising due to the melting of glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland.
As mentioned in the Special Report on the Ocean Cryosphere, the sea level is rising due to climate change. Melting ice is a major contributor to sea level rise. According to the World Glacier Monitoring Service, from 2006 to 2016, 335 billion tons of ice was lost annually from glaciers. which has raised the sea level by about 1 mm per year.
It is estimated that 10 percent of the world's land area is occupied by glaciers and 70 percent of the total pure water is stored by glaciers. The melting process of the glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, including Nepal, is also rapid. This is contributing to sea level rise. However, its contribution is small compared to Greenland and Antarctica. However, the impact it has locally and regionally is huge.
From 2011 to 2020, the glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region have melted 65 percent faster than in the previous decade. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is one of the largest mountain systems in the world. Talking about Nepal only, the glaciers here are melting at a rate of 10-15 meters per year. In the Hindu Kush Himalaya region spread across eight countries, 951,000 to 1,390,000 square kilometers in winter and 388,000 to 481,000 square kilometers in summer are covered with snow.
Due to temperature increase, glaciers are also heading in the direction of disappearing in Nepal. An example is the 'Yala' glacier in Rasuwa district. Various studies have shown that this glacier will disappear completely after 15 years as a result of temperature increase. The glacier has shrunk by 66 percent since it was first measured in 1970.
In terms of glaciers disappearing from around the world, it is estimated that the glaciers from Nepal will be the first to disappear. The Yala glacier is one of the glaciers listed in the Global Glacier Casualty list in the entire Himalayan region. The publication of such a list has been started in 2024 with the cooperation of Rice University, University of Iceland, Glaciology Society, World Meteorological Organization, Glacier Monitoring Service and UNESCO.
15 glaciers around the world have been listed in the 'Global Glacier Casualty' list, including Yala in Nepal. Some of these rivers have already disappeared. Venezuela's Pico Humboldt glacier was lost in 2024 and France's Sarenne glacier in 2023. China's Dagu Glacier has also been put on the endangered list. It is estimated that the glacier will disappear in 2030. China's glaciers have lost 12,442 square kilometers in the past few decades. This is 20.6 percent of the glaciers in China.
The lives of millions of people depend on the mountains and rivers of this region. According to the ISMOD report, there are 240 million people living in the hilly and mountainous terrain of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The number of people living in the coastal areas originating from the Hindu Kush Himalayas is 1.65 billion. The Hindu Kush Himalaya region has directly and indirectly served about 2 billion people.
According to a study report by the United Nations in 2023, due to climate change, by 2050, 158.3 million more women and girls will reach the poverty line. It is estimated that 600 million children in South Asia will be at risk of floods and droughts due to climate change. Similarly, due to climate change, 5.5 percent of Nepal's total population is at high risk of food poisoning, according to a study report conducted by the National Planning Commission in 2022.
The IPCC report shows that by the year 2100, the risk of flooding in coastal areas will increase by 2 to 3 times than it is now. At that time the very existence of the coastal country will be in crisis. It is estimated that the lives of around 70 million people will be at risk. A report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) states that rising sea levels will increase the risk of permanent inundation in coastal areas. According to the report, 160,000 square kilometers of coastal land will be submerged by the rise of the sea level by the year 2100. It is bigger than the area of Bangladesh.
Coastal countries are also at risk when the snow melts in the Himalayas and the North Pole. The Everest Dialogue organized by Nepal should lead to the creation of an environment that brings the island countries together to establish the mountain issue.
