First, the Maldives held an underwater cabinet meeting, now the Nepalese government will show the perils of climate change to the Himalayan glaciers by convening the cabinet at 17,500 feet.
The entire cabinet of the 22-party coalition will move to the Everest base camp at an altitude of 17,585 feet later this month for the landmark meeting, said Forests Minister Deepak Bohora.
According to the minister, the cabinet meeting at the Everest Base Camp ahead of the key UN summit on December 7-18 aims to focus the attention of the international community to the impact of climate change on the Himalayas and the people dependent on its resources.
The Himalyas are sometimes refered to as the “water tower of Asia” because mountain glaciers provide the water source for rivers from China to Burma to India, which in turn accounts for about half the world’s population. Unfortunately, the IPCCC has found that the glaciers are receding fast. Unless this trend is abated, we may see a major water crisis around the corner.
Photo, flickr.