Thursday is World Mountain Day! In 1992, the United Nations organized the International Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The conference adopted the resolution ‘Managing the Deteriorating Environment: Sustainable Development of Mountains as a Key Resolution’. A decade later, 2002 was declared the ‘International Year of Mountains’ and awareness campaigns were launched on its various aspects. With its success, the United Nations decided to celebrate International Mountain Day on December 11 from 2003. Along with this, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has been celebrating this day.

Scientists refer to the Himalayas as the 'Third Pole'. This is because the Himalayan region has the largest amount of snow and glaciers in the world, except for the North and South Poles. Its snow and glaciers supply water to more than a quarter of the world's population. The snow and ice of the Himalayas melt slowly and maintain the flow of water in rivers throughout the year, making it possible for millions of people living in the lower coastal areas. It is because of the huge rivers like the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus and Yangtze that originate from the Himalayas that it has been possible to develop agriculture and the lifestyle based on it in Asia for thousands of years.

However, rising temperatures have brought about widespread changes in the air and water cycle. Events such as the disruption of monsoon rains, heavy rains and droughts seen in the last few years are due to this man-made climate change. Its cyclical effect is constantly increasing. If this is not corrected in time, unimaginable deviations will occur in the entire biological cycle. This will accelerate the destruction of the entire biological world that is possible at a certain temperature, humidity, and balance of biological elements. Its traces can be easily assessed from the crisis we are experiencing today. And, its fastest impact is being felt by the human species, which is accustomed to living artificially outside of natural behavior. Many species have already become extinct and are in the process of becoming extinct. With this decrease in diversity, the natural rhythm has been disrupted.

The Himalayas play an indispensable role in the balance of our planet's climate, temperature, and water cycle. On the Earth, which rotates at an angle of 23.5 degrees, the white part of the Himalayas and the reflection of sunlight falling on it are such dimensions that play a key role in maintaining the overall balance of water and air. The disturbance in this balance affects the entire climate. In this sense, the Himalayas are directly and indirectly linked to the existence of microorganisms on Earth, from giant organisms.

The Himalayas also play an important role in the Earth's atmospheric circulation. The vast mountain range, standing like a wall to the north, protects the Indian subcontinent from the freezing cold by blocking the cold and dry winds coming from the north. It blocks the monsoon winds coming from the Indian Ocean and brings heavy rain. This is why this region has become one of the most fertile lands in the world. This natural structure of the Himalayas has created different climatic zones in different geographical areas of Asia and enriched biodiversity.

However, today, with the increase in the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human beings through excessive use of fossil fuels, the temperature in the entire Earth's atmosphere is increasing. The problem of climate change is linked to the excessive use of fossil fuels and industrial development worldwide. It has been three decades since the summit of partners began, calling for 'consensus and cooperation' to correct this. Plans and commitments have been made to reduce emissions, adhere to sustainable development standards, and provide economic and technical assistance to affected areas and communities. However, the steps in this direction are not only slow, but in some ways ineffective, which is a very disappointing situation.

Along with this global scenario of climate crisis, Nepal's own fundamental crisis in the hilly agricultural system is also deepening. Nepal's geographical structure is unique in itself. Only about 25 percent of the total land area is flat, while the rest is occupied by hills and mountains. But, ironically! Today, the lifestyle and farming system of this geography is caught in a whirlwind of serious crisis.

The prosperous peasant society, culture, and nature of this hilly region, which is considered the birthplace of the human species and civilization, have been destroyed in the name of modern development. By trying to force the agricultural development of the plains onto the steep slopes of the mountains without understanding the characteristics and essence of the hilly geography, not only has our agricultural system failed, but the entire hilly nature and the culture built on it are on the path of extinction.

The sensitive soil of the hills has been disturbed mainly by the heavy machinery, monoculture system, and use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides introduced in the name of the 'Green Revolution'. It was a big mistake to destroy the biodiversity-based mixed farming system here and encourage monoculture in the name of 'commercial farming'. This destroyed the integrated agro-forestry system of the hills. The cyclical relationship between forests, livestock, and agriculture was broken. The indiscriminately dug channels have blocked the water sources and their underground flow. As a result, today the soil of the hills is flowing away and mixing with the Bay of Bengal, while the people of the hills are forced to go to the bay in search of employment.

It is no longer possible to restore life to the mountains without addressing the climate crisis. This work begins with a campaign to heal the wounds inflicted on nature and the environment by the climate crisis. However, in such a situation, the question of where to start a sustainable solution to this complex problem is tricky. The starting point should be the work of biological regeneration of this area, which has a major impact on the biological balance of the earth and is being greatly and rapidly affected by the current climate change.

This work should not only be a campaign to save glaciers or plant trees like the current one, but also a campaign to adopt a sustainable lifestyle and progress that is in harmony with the rhythm of nature, different from the current development. In another sense, this can be called a journey of 'sustainable biological regeneration'. The first task of mountain revitalization is to restore an integrated agricultural-forestry system that is in harmony with nature by learning from the mistakes and weaknesses of the past and to create a framework for the progress of the mountain society on that basis. This is not only an opportunity to make life easier, but also to show the world society a new path.

For this, we must first understand the collective responsibility and opportunity to save the mountains. Along with this, the revival of the entire hilly region is possible and we must dare to take a firm resolve that ‘it can be done’. We should all consider that this is not the responsibility of just one person or group, but rather the collective responsibility of the entire human race to save the future of ‘ourselves’ and their descendants. It should be understood that the journey to recharge the Himalayas will not only bring natural balance to this region, but also ensure the energy supply of millions of people who are facing food and health crises.