KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 28With scientists worldwide warning of the catastrophic global impacts of this year's record-breaking losses of snow and ice, policymakers and experts representing one of the world's most climate vulnerable regions gathered at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development to call for an urgent acceleration of climate action and ambition. Emotion-laden diaspora dilemma: An urgent call for action in Nepal UN, NPC call for renewed ambition, action "The total and irreversible loss of mountain glaciers around the world is about to be locked-in unless immediate action is taken," said James Kirkham, chief scientific adviser to the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.

The event was attended by ministers, diplomats, senior policy-makers and experts from the eight-nation Hindu Kush Himalayan region and beyond, and was organised by ICIMOD and Nepal's Ministry of Forests and Environment."Science is unequivocal," said Pema Gyamtsho, director general of ICIMOD.

"We have to act now to prevent the Earth from spiralling towards a state beyond which it can no longer sustain life. With two billion people relying on water held in these mountains for their food and water security, all of us have a huge humanitarian weight on our shoulders at this moment."He said, "The consequences of catastrophic losses of ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic should alarm the world," Kirkham said, adding, "It will destabilise the climate system that has kept Earth habitable for millennia and result in large parts of Dhaka, Mumbai, Karachi and Shanghai being underwater if current increases in emissions continue."Kirkham warned that Bangladesh alone would see 18 million refugees as a result of sea level rise as soon as 2050.

Scientists have emphasised the urgent need to study the Hindu Kush Himalaya's permafrost whose thawing not only threatens the rising incidence of major hazards, including landslides, but also the release of vast amounts of carbon and methane as carbon sink turns to carbon source.

The emissions from permafrost are equivalent to those of Japan.At 3-4ºC of warming, that level would rise to China's or USA's total emissions.

Addressing ICIMOD's Climate and Cryosphere Crisis Forum, senior cryosphere scientists from the Ambition on Melting Ice High-Level Group on Sea-level Rise and Mountain Water Resources urged world leaders at the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit to make cuts in line with the 1.5ºC Paris Agreement.

The upper threshold of 2ºC of warming would unleash 'catastrophic' changes, AMI argued and called for it to be taken 'off the table.' "The emergency is already here for the snow and ice of the Hindu Kush Himalaya at just 1.2ºC of warming," said Gyamtsho.

"We need to unite to help the communities and governments prepare and adapt to the impacts of warming that have already been locked in, but we also need to speak with one voice - across the countries of this region, across the world's cryosphere zones and across Earth's mountains to call for the world leaders to cut emissions to save our snow."Nepal's Minister of Forests and Environment Birendra Prasad Mahato said, "The Government of Nepal has prioritised cooperation with its neighbours on the issues related to climate change, environmental degradation, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation and socio-economic improvements."A version of this article appears in the print on September 29, 2023, of The Himalayan Times .

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