The warming of the Himalayas will limit the water storage capacity

                        (Himalaya Snow)

The Alarming challenge of growing temperature affects the general lives of all human beings all over the world, as the ‘Third Pole’. As Nepal has a biodiversity in various facts as follows: The Himalayas and its burning climatic concerns drew world attention at the latest round, as the Katmandu headquartered International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) released reports pointing at the dire consequences of the impact of climate change on the highest elevations on the earth. The reports said that warming of the Himalayas will limit the water storage capacity of the vast expanse of the snow and ice mass, heightening the risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF).

As warming increases, tree line and animal species move to higher elevations. Strange things are happening in the mountains - mosquitoes have appeared in places where they could never be found in the past. People have reported to have spotted cobra in mid hills while some trekkers were surprised to sight flies in the altitude as high as Everest Base camp, a location at 5,300 meters. The reports said that species already living at highest elevation may have nowhere to go.

However, this change is not evenly distributed. Rate of warming is found to be much greater in the central Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. In Lhasa, for example, temperatures were found to have increased by 1.35° Celsius between 1950 and 1980. Mass losses from glaciers and accelerated thinning of the snow cover are expected to reduce water supplies and hydropower potential," said the climate change assessment of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region extending from Afghanistan to Bhutan.

The Hindu Kush-Himalaya region has been described as one of the hotspots in respect to the global warming and climate change. Temperature rises are observed to be at greater rates at higher altitude and during cooler months than in warmer months and warmer regions. This imbalance will eventually narrow the seasonal variation in temperature. This will turn out to be more favorable for some species while proving hostile to others. As a result, agriculture will be directly impacted, the ICIMOD reports said.Warming across the Himalayan region is higher than the global average of ICIMOD 0.74° Celsius over the past 100 year

The Himalayas

MT. Everest

            Nepal is known as the land of the Himalayas. These are the loftiest mountains in the world. The Himalayas extend all over northern Nepal and occupy nearly forty percent of the total area of our country. They consist of several parallel ranges, one higher than the other. The higher Himalayas are perpetually covered with snow, that’s why they are called the Himalayas. In Sanskrit, ‘Himalaya’ means the abode of snow. The higher Himalayas contain most of the highest peaks in the world. Some of the highest peaks Mt. Everest, Kanchanjungha, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. These peaks attract climbers every year. The high Himalayas contain several big glaciers and lakes. They are devoid of vegetation and human settlement.

            The lower Himalayas are forested. The forests contain pine trees and rhododendrons. The rhododendron is the national flower of our country. On the flower parts of these mountains we find valleys and lakes. The lower Himalayas are inhabited but the density of populations. People rear goats and sheep. Some cultivation is done on the hill-slopes and in the valleys.

            The Himalayas are a great hindrance to the development of our country. The cover a large part of our country. As they are unfit for cultivation, a big area of our country is a huge waste. Transport is difficult across the mountains and people cannot easily travel from one part of the country to another. Some parts of the Himalayas are inaccessible and inhospitable.

            Though the Himalayas are an obstacle to the development of our country, we derive many benefits from them. They stand as sentinels on our northern border. They form an insurmountable wall and protect us from enemy attacks. Because of the Himalayas, we don’t have to deploy a big army on our northern frontier. The Himalayas also protect us from the cold winds blowing from Central Asia. Were it not for the Himalayas, the climate of Nepal would have been awfully cold in winter. The Himalayas also give us plenty of rain. They stop the monsoons coming from the Bay of Bengal and cause a good deal of rainfall.

            The Himalayas supply our rivers with water. All our big rivers originate from the Himalayas. The rivers are full of water all the year round. They are useful for irrigation and generating electricity. The climate on the lower Himalayas is cool and conductive to health. A number of hill stations can be developed in these regions. The Himalayas are full of fine scenery and attract a large number of tourists and climbers. The influx of tourists is helping us to earn a large amount of foreign currency. The slopes of the lower Himalayas are rich in minerals, soft-wood tress, medicinal herbs and cash crops like tea and cardamom. Thus, the Himalayas are useful to us in many ways.