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himalayan communities threatened by melting glacial lakes

friends of the earth nepal

The Sagarmatha National Park is famed for Mount Everest , the highest peak in the world. Small communities struggle to grow food on the rugged terrain, and Sherpas graze their livestock in the upper peaks during the warm months. Wild animals native to the area include the Himalayan tahr, the goral, the serow, the musk deer, the Himalayan black bear, and some 118 bird species.

© Tania Dunste r

This dramatic region is threatened by climate change, which would have potentially horrendous consequences for the people and nature in these lofty settlements. Increased temperatures can rapidly melt glacier ice, and precipitation at higher altitudes will fall as rain rather than snow. The lives and livelihoods of the mountain communities are already being affected by climate change: crop patterns are changing, and water resources are under threat. Furthermore, twenty glacial lakes are at risk of outburst, which would have catastrophic effects on downstream communities.

Supported by Friends of the Earth Nepal, the communities are exploring the possibility of petitioning UNESCO to place the Sagarmatha National Park on the World Heritage in Danger List. They may also be able to ask the Nepal Supreme Court to remedy the breach of these people's human rights, and order companies and governments to pay for the cost of making the glacial lakes safe. If necessary, they may also be able to petition the UN Human Rights Committee about the denial of their rights.