HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

By Navin Singh Khadka

Kathmandu, Apr. 21: Formal and stereotype it may sound once again, the Earth Day this time (tomorrow), however, has come amidst alarm bells ringing for mountainous countries like Nepal, if not the whole world.

Just one week before this official celebration for the only identified living planet, a pending wrath of disturbed nature made headlines.

Around 50 glacial lakes in the Himalayas are already bursting at their seams and could spell disaster to human settlements downstream within five to 10 years, the United Nations and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development last week pointed at the troubled world’s highest ultra frigid zone.

Of the lakes that have reached the danger level, 20 are in Nepal and 25 in Bhutan.

The lakes are rapidly filling up with icy water as rising temperatures in the region accelerate the melting of glaciers and snowfields that feed them, the international agencies reported. They monitored 49 stations in the Nepalese Himalayas that showed temperatures increasing since the mid-1970’s – up by one degree Celsius, rising at the rate of 0.06 degree per year.

"We are talking about only those lakes that we know about," noted Surendra Shrestha, Regional Coordinator in Asia for a division of the United Nation’s Environment Program. "Who knows how many others, elsewhere in the Himalayas and across the world, are in similar critical state?"

The Damocles Sword indeed lurks over human civilization, especially at places like Nepal that boasts of above 3,000 identified glaciers and around 2,300 known glacial lakes. The bad news is these glaciers are retreating fast – some at 20 meters a year like the Tradkarding Glacier that feeds the Tsho Rolpa glacial lake in the Rolwaling Valley. In effect, the lake has grown six fold.

"It’s not just the risk to human lives, agriculture and property," said Klaus Toepfer, Director of UNEP. "If the glaciers continue to retreat at the rates being seen in the Himalayas, many rivers and fresh water systems could run dry, threatening drinking water supplies, fisheries and wildlife. We now have compelling reason to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other green house gases."

That sums up what the United Nations deems is the prime culprit — Global warming.

And it’s not just the world body talking about it. Other environmental agencies echo the same view. The World Wildlife Fund, for instance, brought out a report last February warning that the Himalayan alpine meadows in the country and its Savannah grassland in the Terai faced severe threats from global warming.

Home to rare plants and animals, these two areas are among the 80 per cent of the 115 most scientifically important wildlife habitats that will be ruined by rising temperature, the report "Global warming and species loss in globally significant terrestrial ecosystems" said.

Sheltering critically endangered species like the snow leopard, the eastern Himalayan alpine meadows will have lost two thirds of its area by the end of the century while the Savannah grassland that hosts the one-horned rhinos and tigers will see its significant chunk disappear, it further stated.

"This report provides us with an alarming picture of what will happen to some of the Earth’s precious natural areas," Dr. Ute Collier, Head of Climate Change at WWF said in the report.

If you think it is only certain pockets of the earth that will be troubled spots, think twice. Here is what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated: The atmosphere will be warmer by as much as 5.8 degree Celsius over the coming century, and the sea will rise by about half a metre.

Meaning, the Himalayas, and for that matter countries with settings like that of Nepal, will have to bear the brunt of the global warming menace at first hand. No matter even if it is increasingly adopting clean energy — despite its bulky bill — under the banner of carbon emission reduction.

But, what worth would that sacrifice be if the greenhouse gas emissions continues to grow thanks to the industrialised countries? The United Nations has time and again made it clear that the per capita emissions in the developing countries are far lower than in the industrialised countries.

It is the latter ones that have significantly contributed for the growth of carbon dioxide emissions by 12 fold in the 20th century – from 534 million metric tons to 6.59 billion metric tons.

Yet, there is no solution at sight. The much touted and controversial Kyoto Protocol – which US President George W Bush once called "fatally flawed" – still remains elusive.

Hence, the celebration of the Earth Day in the country amidst the bad news from the Himalayas — perturbed by human-induced global warming.

Other Stories