Nepali Cabinet Took Place in Everest: A new way of campaign



On December 4th, just ahead of the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change, Nepal’s Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal along with 22 other ministers organized a cabinet meeting in Kalapatthar plateau (5,242 meters), near Everest Base Camp to highlight the impact of global warming and to draw global attention about Climate change on Himalayas.

The meeting which lasted for 20 minutes concluded with the ‘10-point Everest Declaration for Environment Protection and Subsequent Initiatives which includes Preservation of Himalayan livelihood and flora and fauna, and the threat created by melting Himalayan glaciers’. The meeting also expressed its commitment to the marginalized communities, indigenous people, women and people who live in Himalayas and upper hill regions who face the direct impact of climate change. Moreover the cabinet also agreed to increase conservation areas from 20 percent to 25 percent.

According to scientists Nepal’s temperature is rising at a much higher rate than the global temperature. Its’ consequences are that ice and snow are melting at fast speed and it makes the mountaineering routes more hazardous.

Moreover, around 1.3 billion people depend on rivers that originate from Himalayas. And the present global warming which caused melting of glacier, snow, and ice could lead to flood and later drought to large part of Asia.

As the climate change debates are at the center of development discourse, new ways of campaigns are organized. Just few months back, Maldives also organized similar kind of meeting under the sea to draw the attention of world leaders for their commitments. Nepali ministers also have taken interesting ways to draw global attention.

Earth Concern Asia Nepal Desk