London— Renowned Everest Summiteers have called on world leaders to take urgent steps to combat climate change.

Addressing an event organised by the Embassy of Nepal in London on Thursday to mark the Everest Day, first British woman to climb Everest, Rebecca Stephens, said climate change has created a clear and present danger to communities living at the foothills of high Himalayas. “The bursting of glacial lakes in the Himalayas is a real threat to mountain communities. I am worried about communities downstream whenever heavy rainfall occurs,” she said.

Ms Stephens, who is also a Trustee of  The Himalayan Trust, said the Trust has been supporting education and healthcare in mountain communities.

Making a presentation on the theme Climate Crisis and the Himalayan Task, BBC’s Global Environment Correspondent Navin Singh Khadka  narrated how climate change is rapidly transforming the Himalayan region.

Referring to research by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), he said glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region have been losing ice at double the rate since 2000.

Khadka also pointed to increasing risks from glacial lake outburst floods, changing monsoon patterns, extreme weather events and reduced snowfall around Everest Base Camp. He noted that mountaineering is becoming increasingly dangerous due to more rainfall and unstable conditions in the mountains.

He highlighted the widening gap between scientific recommendations and global action on climate change and questioned whether rising military spending and emissions linked to global conflicts were undermining climate efforts.

Call for climate finance

Mr Khadka said that curbing carbon emissions globally is proving increasingly difficult, and that means warming will continue and that, in turn, means climate impacts will keep rising. “With just 0.05% of its share in global total emissions, even if Nepal stops all its emissions, it will hardly make any difference in the bigger picture. But it will still have to bear the brunt of the impacts, and therefore climate adaptation needs to be its priority — equally, if not more than, as cutting down emissions (mitigation) is,” he added.

The adaptation agenda is more crucial for the Himalayas where impacts are more intense and damaging. And even if Nepal stops all its emissions, the rapid retreat, thinning and melting of glaciers and permafrost is not going to slow because global warming is not slowing. Which means Nepal will have to live with the impacts including in the Himalayas. Hence the critical need for adaptation, he added.

Mr Khadka further stressed the need for stronger adaptation measures and adequate climate finance. “Developing countries have demanded nearly 1.5 trillion US dollars in climate finance support whereas around US$300 billion has been pledged by developed nations. The UNEP has estimated that around US$365 billion a year adaptation finance is needed by 2035,” he added.

Commemorating  the first successful ascent

Addressing the event organised under the theme  ‘Sagarmatha: Identity and Pride of Nepal,  Acting Ambassador at the Nepali embassy in London, Bipin Duwadi, said Nepal has been observing May 29 every year as Everest Day in commemoration of the first successful ascent of the world’s highest peak in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Mr Duwadi said British climbers have maintained a long and historic association with Nepal and Mount Everest, making remarkable contributions to promoting Everest, sustainable tourism and strengthening friendship between Nepal and the United Kingdom.

“Mountains are our lifelines. The impacts of climate change on the Himalayas are deeply concerning to us,” Mr Duwadi said urging the international community to intensify efforts to reduce the effects of climate change on Himalayan nations including Nepal.

Hari Budha Magar, the world’s first double above-knee amputee to climb Mount Everest, said he undertook expeditions to the highest peaks on all seven continents to raise awareness about people living with disabilities.

“There are 1.3 billion disabled people around the world. They can accomplish great things if they receive support,” he said, adding that Nepal can use its mountains to raise global awareness about climate change and promote world peace.

The event was hosted by Second Secretary Sanjog Rai at the Embassy of Nepal in London. More than two dozen Everest summiteers attended the programme.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 metres, including Mount Everest, locally known as Sagarmatha. The mountain was named after British Surveyor and geographer, Sir George Everest, who served as Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843.