Himalayan villagers on global warming frontline

KYANGJIN GOMPA, Nepal (AFP)


“We used to play on the glacier, and it came right down to the monastery, but now it’s about two kilometres (1.2 miles) further back.”

Temperatures in the Himalayas are rising by around 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.108 Fahrenheit) annually, according to a long-term study by the Nepalese department of hydrology.

The rate is far above the global average given last year by the UN’s senior scientists, who said surface temperatures have risen by a total of 0.74 degrees C over the past 100 years.

“I don’t really understand why the glacier has gone so far back, but I am told it’s due to global warming,” said Lama, whose weather-beaten face makes him look older than his 57 years.

AFP