Kathmandu: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, following his visit to the region near Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, said that Nepal's snow-capped Himalayan mountains have witnessed the loss of approximately one-third of their ice in the past 30 years due to the effects of global warming.
While the Earth's average temperature has risen by 0.74 degrees Celsius over the past century, the Himalayas in South Asia have experienced even greater warming compared to the global averages, as noted by climate scientists.
Guterres shared in a video message that glaciers in Nepal, situated between the two major carbon-emitting nations, India and China, have melted at a rate 65% faster over the last decade compared to the previous one.
Consequences of melting glaciers are disastrous: Guterres
He implored for an end to the "fossil fuel age," warning that the consequences of melting glaciers would include the formation of swollen lakes and rivers that could engulf entire communities, as well as rising sea levels at unprecedented rates.
Dangerous floods and water shortages to affect 24 crore people
A report published by scientists in June this year revealed that glaciers in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya could potentially lose up to 75% of their volume by the end of this century due to global warming. This alarming trend could lead to dangerous floods and water shortages affecting the 24 crore people residing in the mountainous region.
'Record temperatures mean record glacier melt'
Climbers returning from Mount Everest have reported that the mountain appears drier and less snowy than before. Guterres emphasized, "Record temperatures mean record glacier melt. Nepal has lost nearly one-third of its ice in just over 30 years."
He also called upon nations to work towards limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius in order to avert the worst consequences of climate change.
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