Apa Sherpa has set off to climb Mount Everest in support of the WWF charity climate change campaign in Nepal. This is his record 19th time of climbing the 8,848 metre high summit, which should take him around six weeks.
With glaziers in Nepal shrinking due to rising temperaturse, Nepal is on the front line of climate change. The effects are clearly visible from the tops Himalayas, with many rivers shrinking, threatening the lives of millions of people who depend on them.
Apa Sherpa said –
This is my 19th climb to the top of the world. During the last 18 ascents, I have seen a measurable difference in the climatic conditions there. The disastrous impacts of climate change are visible in the Everest region. It is a warning to mankind before it reaches a tipping point.
Nepal has some of the fastest temperature increases and rainfall anywhere on the planet. Many Himalayan lakes, which collect glacier meltwater, are said by the United Nations to be growing so rapidly they could burst their banks within a decade.
