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Archives 2008
12/01/2009
Two Britons die during peak ascent of Alps
On Saturday, trying a notoriously dangerous ascent of the east face of the 13,937-foot Tacul peak in the Mont Blanc mountain range in the French Alps, Rob Gauntlett, 21, fell hundreds of feet to his death with another young Briton, James Atkinson, also 21, the police in the French city of Grenoble said. Two years ago, at the age of 19, Gauntlett became the youngest Briton to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Over 14 months beginning in 2007, he and a companion traveled 26,000 miles, from the North Pole to the South Pole, through North, Central and South America, and then the South Atlantic and Antarctica, on skis, dogsleds, bicycles and an oceangoing sailboat, in a demonstration of what could be accomplished by "natural" means of transport, requiring no environmentally damaging engines.
Article http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/12/europe/12climber.php
08/01/2009
Lessons learned from Everest trip
The extensive and continuing programme of research into hypoxia (low oxygen levels) carried out by Dr Grocott and the “Caudwell Xtreme Everest” team could help the treatment of critically ill patients.
The team that braved the Himalayan summit to study the body's responses to extreme adversity has recorded the lowest ever human blood oxygen level. The blood readings established what has long been suspected - that high-altitude climbers have incredibly low levels of oxygen in their blood, which at sea-level would only be seen in patients close to death.
The results could see treatment plans for some patients with similarly low blood oxygen levels re-evaluated.
The hope is that the research will eventually lead to better treatments for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, septic shock, "blue baby" syndrome and other critical illnesses.
Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7811578.stm
07/01/2009
Ecuador: Grassroots protest against impact of mining on the environment
QUITO – Over four hundred local peasants in the Ecuador's South Andean region held a feisty protest against mining activity in the region that they feel will have a negative impact on the area’s natural environment. Local farmers piled rocks and sticks around the roads leading to the main city in the region: Cuenca. The protest turned violent when riot police were called in to disperse the crowds. A number of protesters were arrested and three police officers were injured and taken to hospital by ambulance. Article: http://www.allnewsweb.com/page1601601.php
11/12/2008
European Conference of Mountain Ranges in Chamonix
The European Conference of Mountain Ranges has begun today its work in Chamonix focusing on: “What future for a European strategy in favour of mountain massifs?” The Conference is organised by AEM (European Association of Elected Representatives from Mountain Regions) and supported by ANEM and Rhône-Alpes region, General Council of Haute-Savoie, Alpine Massif Committee and Commissariat de massif, Alpes-Méditerrannée Euro-region and UNCEM, aims at offering a renewed vision of multi-level governance, sustainable development and territorial cohesion. Website: http://www.promonte-aem.net/AEM/news-1/european-conference-of-mountain-ranges-in-chamonix
11/12/2008
International Mountain Day
The United Nations General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as the "International Mountain Day". It is observed every year with a different theme relevant to sustainable mountain development. The theme for the International Mountain Day 2008 is "Food Security in Mountains".Harsh climates and the difficult, often inaccessible, terrain combined with political and social marginality make mountain people vulnerable to food shortages. Now food prices are soaring worldwide and increased transportation costs to remote mountain areas mean that mountain communities are paying much more for their food. The problem of hunger in mountains is getting worse. This year's International Mountain Day provides an apt occasion to reflect on how hard it is for mountain people to consistently get adequate and nutritious food to lead healthy and active lives. International Mountain Day website: http://www.fao.org/mnts/
01/12/08
Mt. Apo proposed as world heritage site
Efforts are being made to reccomend the inclusion of Mt. Apo and Mt. Hamiguitan, both in Davao Region, among the UNESCO world heritage sites. The majestic Mount Apo in the Philippine archipelago, is a volcanic mountain rising to 3, 143.6 meters above the sea level. The mount hosts five distinct forest formations, from lowland forest to low montane forest, high montane forest and finally to summit or scrub forest. In addition to variations in its topography, interactions of other factors, such as, climate, soil, geology, slope and drainage have allowed for the development of a wide diversity in plant community types and associations in the region. Mt. Apo is also known as the home of the national bird - the Philippine Eagle.
UNESCO website: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5387/
27/11/08
Argentina vetoes glacier law that curbed mining
Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez has vetoed a law protecting the country's glaciers that would have restricted mining and oil drilling, officials and environmental campaigners said on Friday.The law, which was passed by Congress last month, might have complicated plans by the world's biggest gold miner, Barrick Gold Corp, to build a $2.4 billion mine straddling the snowy Andean peaks between Argentina and Chile. Article: http://www.reuters.com/article
26/11/08
Geotextile blanket stops glacier from melting
An experiment conducted by the University of Milan has saved the melting of 115 cubic metres of water on a glacier area of 150 meters. Over the period of six months, a geotextile blanket has been laid in the glacier of Dosdè Orientale, Valtellina, in the Italian Region of Lombardia. When the blanket was removed late October, the level of unmelted ice and snow was over two metres. The blanket acts as a physical barrier between the sun rays and the snow beneath, limiting the melting during the summer period. Read article (in Italian) http://www.corriere.it
19/11/08
UN launches initiative to save global biodiversity
Following the move to respond to global warming and climate change, steps are now being undertaken internationally in order to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has established the Inter-governmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) with the goal of saving the remaining global biodiversity in a regime of protection that likewise promotes economic gain."The value of services generated by the world's 100,000 protected areas is estimated to be worth over $5 trillion annually," UNEP said in a statement.. Article: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/features/
19/11/08
Melting ice driving elevation of oceans
Runoff from ice caps in Antarctica and Greenland along with melting mountain glaciers have replaced expanding oceans as the main driver of rising sea levels, according to a new study. The rate at which the global ocean water mark rises could have a devastating impact on hundreds of millions of people living in low-lying areas around the world.
Earlier research had shown that sea levels crept up and average of 3,1 millimetres per year from 1993 to 2003. Article:http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php
10/11/08
Internet dream becomes a reality
A Nepali teacher has finally turned his dream into reality by connecting his remote mountain community to the internet. In 2001 Mahabir Pun wrote to the BBC World Service's technology programme, then known as 'Go Dig'. He wanted to connect his village to the internet after the local high school received four used computers as a gift from students in Australia. However, the lack of a phone line in the village made an internet connection almost impossible. The only viable option was a satellite connection but the cost of this was beyond his means. Read article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7708558.stm
06/11/08
EU launches Alpine flora and fauna protection plan
The European Union has launched a cross-border programme to protect the 30 000 animal species and 13 000 types of plant in the Alps. The Ecoconnect programme has a budget of 3.2 million euros over three years. It covers EU members, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia, plus Switzerland, and has 16 associated states, both EU members and non-members. Bears in the Slovenian Alps are among the threatened species, and every year 20 are killed by cars, trucks or trains. Read article http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1225818122.34
28/10/08
Antartica’s hidden world
Exploring the climate history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and the geological structure and evolution of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains are primary goals of this flagship International Polar Year (IPY) project. Buried by up to 4 km ice, and surrounded by under-ice lakes, this enigmatic, virtually unexplored mountain chain, larger than the Alps, may well be the birthplace of the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet. During the mission science teams will hunt for Antarctica's oldest ice by selecting sites for ice core and bedrock drilling. Article http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/press/featured/AGAP/science_mission.php
23/10/08
Green Tax to save Himalayan Ecology
In a first of its kind initiative in India, the Government of Himachal Pradesh will impose a voluntary 'green tax' on vehicle users to generate a fund for combating climatic changes.The tax became a reality with cabinet ministers recently deciding to contribute Rs 100 per month towards creating the corpus, reports IANS. "The environment fund will be utilised for protecting nature from certain death and making the state a carbon-neutral state," Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said. The hill state has already taken various initiatives towards ecology conservation. As part of its first micro-level drive, residents across the state planted 1.5 million saplings on a single day, August 3, 2008, under the Jan Jan Sanjivani programme. Article: http://www.igovernment.in/site/Himachal-starts-green-tax-to-combat-climate-change
15/10/08
Paper published in the Journal of Limnology
A paper developed by Franco Salerno in the frame of the HKKH Partnership Project has been published in the Journal of Limnology. The title is “Lake surface area variations in the North-Eastern sector of Sagarmatha National Park (Nepal) at the end of the 20th Century by
comparison of historical maps’. The paper can be accessed at: http://www.jlimnol.it/JL_67_2/JL67_2.htm
03/10/08
Paper published on Glacier surface –area changes in Sagarmatha National Park
A paper developed by Franco Salerno within the framework of the HKKH Partnership Project has been published in the most important journal of Glaciology, International Glaciological Society (IGS). The title is “Glacier surface-area changes in Sagarmatha national park, Nepal, in the second half of the 20th century, by comparison of historical maps”. The paper can be accessed at: http://www.igsoc.org/journal/54/187/index.html
30/09/2008
Ilulissat glacier melting fast
Ilulissat, Denmark - Flying low over the vast, white expanse of Greenland's Ilulissat glacier, one of the biggest and most active in the world, the effects of global warming in the Arctic are painfully visible as the ice melts at an alarming rate. "The ice in some places on the coast is now melting four times faster than before," says Abbas Khan, a Dane who studies the movements of Greenland's glaciers at the Danish Space Centre.
The Ilulissat glacier and icefjord have been on UNESCO's world heritage list since 2004 and is the most visited site in Greenland, its ice and pools of emerald-blue water admired by tourists and studied by scientists and politicians around the world. Article>>>
19/09/2008
MRI launches Newsletter
The Mountain Research Initiative has just launched its first Newsletter. Inside, the section “Science Peaks” features articles such as how global change topics have made it onto the research agenda of protected areas Biosphere Reserve Val Müstar and the Swiss National Park (BVM-SNP) and the contribution of satellite remote sensing to the monitoring of cryosphere in mountains. The newsletter appears twice a year and the next edition is planned for spring 2009 (deadline 1 February).
Download here the newsletter.
18/09/2008
Call to Save the Mountains of the World
On 12 September, the Human Development International Vanguard Corps for Peace and Development headed by John Largo re-echoed the Call to save the Mountains of the World at Mt. Galdhopiggen (2469 meters) in Norway, the highest summit in Scandinavia and the European Artic. The call was first made on the Philippines’ highest summit Mount Apo in 2002 during the International Year of the Mountains and has since been replicated in many places. Through out the years the initiative has gathered hundreds of supporters such as the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, his Holiness the Dalai Lama and other influential individuals. For further information please visit: http://humandevintl.org/beta/
17/09/2008
Mountain biological diversity programme of work
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity of UNEP is seeking inputs to implement the programme of work (pow).The first drafts of the documents will be prepared by March 2009 and released for discussion through an E-forum. Funds permitting, an expert workshop should be organized in summer 2009 to discuss and develop draft recommendations to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and the COP. The documents are expected to be finalized by February 2010. Information on progress in implementing the pow has to be sent by 30 November 2008.
Notification >>>
8/09/2008
Conservation and wise use of wetlands crucial for sustainable development in the Himalayan region
A ‘Regional Technical Workshop organised by ICIMOD on the Himalayan Wetlands Initiative’ was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 1- 3 September. Representatives from six countries (Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan, the RAMSAR Convention Secretariat for Wetlands, Wetlands International, WWF, IUCN and ICIMOD) met to discuss the importance of conserving and facilitating sustainable use of the region’s valuable wetlands. Experts emphasised the importance of wetlands to sustain livelihoods and provide water resources and other ecosystem services. Warming in the Himalayan region has been much greater than the global average over the last 100 years.The workshop discussed and agreed on A Himalayan Wetlands Initiative strategy, which will support the implementation of the RAMSAR convention on wetlands among countries sharing the Himalayan region. Article >>>
3/09/2008
Glaciers need closer watch in poor countries - UNEP
Scientists are not paying enough attention to glacial melting in the Andes, the Himalayas and peaks in other developing countries, a United Nations-backed report found on Monday. Experts from the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Glacier Monitoring Service (WGMS) said while there has been excellent monitoring of glacial trends in Europe and North America, ice fields in Central Asia and the tropics have been largely overlooked. This is a major concern given that shrinking and thinning glaciers -- a phenomenon linked to climate change -- could put freshwater supplies at risk for hundreds of millions of people, authors Peter Gilruth and Wilfried Haeberli said. Article>>>
2/09/2008
Recycling the Himalayas
The city of Rishikesh, located in the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges River, is renowned as a holy city for Hindus and as a famous centre of pilgrimage. Eight years ago it became famous also for an important initiative. To protect the region's sacred landscape, a diverse mix of local and expatriate volunteers developed a recycling and waste management project called "Clean Himalaya", which has since blossomed and last year won a World Bank's India Development Marketplace award for grassroots initiatives. "Clean Himalaya" not only works to protect one of the most precious eco-systems on the planet, it has shown how local communities in India can handle its booming economic growth without being overwhelmed by pollution and garbage. Article>>>
2/09/2008
Warming threatens crucial Himalayan water resources, forum told
Climate change poses a serious threat to essential water resources in the Himalayan region putting the livelihoods of 1.3 billion people at risk, experts say. The mountainous region, home to the world's largest glaciers and permafrost area outside the polar regions, has seen rapid glacial melting and dramatic changes in rainfall, experts at the World Water Week conference in Stockholm said. Article >>>
29/07/2008
Peru mountain glaciers 'receding rapidly'
Climate change-induced glacier melts have cost northern Peru's mountains 26 per cent of their surface area in the last 33 years, satellite images have confirmed. Marcos Zapata, head of the glaciology unit at the National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA), says that the glaciers are melting by around 20 metres per year. The reduction is equivalent to 188 square kilometres of the Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain chain in the world. The mountain range is home to more than seven hundreds glaciers, with the glacier Huascaran declared a world heritage site by UNESCO. Article >>>
22/07/2008
Call for entries
Now in its fifth year, WISIONS, a Wuppertal Institute initiative funded and supported by the Swiss-based foundation ProEvolution, has launched its annual call for applications for Sustainable Energy Project Support (SEPS). WISIONS invites the submission of proposals from now until 18 August 2008. The total grant fund for financial support of SEPS projects in this, the 5th round (2008), is €500,000 (across all projects). Partial funding of projects is possible. WISIONS is looking for promising concepts and innovative projects with an integrated approach in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Our main goal is to identify environmentally sound projects that use modern existing technologies, demonstrate the advantages of sound energy solutions and integrate local people, enabling acceptance and further replication. To visit: http://www.wisions.net/pages/SEPS >>
18/07/2008
Experience and live sustainable mobility across the Alps
Journalists for Austria, Germany, Japan, Italy, Romania and Slovenia came together for nine days to participate in SuperAlp! the sustainable mobility initiative, now in its second year, organised by the Alpine Convention Secretariat. The group travelled for over 2,000 kms between France, Switzerland, Austria and Italy by train, bicycle, buses and cable car, proving that it is possible to cross the Alps in an environmentally friendly way. During the itinerary the group met with mayors, administrative representatives and agricultural representatives of mountain communities. To visit the blog: http://thesuperalp.blogspot.com/ >>>
15/07/2008
ICIMOD publications available to all
Launched recently, the ICIMOD BOOKS-ONLINE service provides direct access to all ICIMOD technical and scientific publications. It holds full-text and chapter-wise download options (pdf format) for publications published from 2000 onwards as well as some earlier publications. There is also a link for ordering hard copies (or photocopies if out-of-stock). ICIMOD BOOKS-ONLINE can be searched using full-text contents, title, year of publication, keywords, language, author and broad subjects. To visit: www.books.icimod.org/ >>>
9/07/2008
Mount Shasta glaciers growing, despite warming
Global warming is shrinking glaciers all over the world, but the seven tongues of ice creeping down Mount Shasta's flanks are a rare exception: They are the only long-established glaciers in the continental U.S. that are growing. Reaching more than 14,000 feet above sea level, Mount Shasta is one of the state's tallest peaks, dominating the landscape of high plains and conifer forests in far Northern California. Nearby Indian tribes referred to its glaciers as the footsteps made by the creator when he descended to Earth. Article >>>
2/07/2008
World Heritage sites under scrutiny
World Heritage sites will be under the spotlight next month as the World Heritage Committee prepares to meet in Quebec City, Canada, from July 2-10. They will discuss sites that should be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, as well as existing World Heritage sites that are threatened.
Existing World Heritage sites that are facing serious threats include the Galápagos Islands, in Ecuador, Machu Picchu, in Peru, and Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Machu Picchu, which lies at the end of the Inca Trail in the Andes, is facing serious threats. High visitor numbers, a lack of control over their entry to Machu Picchu, and uncontrolled growth of the nearby town, Aguas Calientes, are all major threats. Article >>>
19/06/2008
Sagarmatha Tourism Coordination Forum (STCF) holds 3rd meeting
The Sagarmatha Tourism Coordination Forum (STCF) will hold its third meeting on June 20, 2008 in Kathmandu. This meeting is being organized by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and the Nepal Tourism Board with support from the HKKH Partnership, IUCN Nepal. The HKKH Partnership Project will present STCF stakeholders with an overview of the project and provide highlights of all partners' activities. Results from tourism surveys, including examples of application of qualitative and quantitative models, will be shared by CESVI. Additionally, HKKH Partnership will have a booth set up to display the DST, technical documents, land cover maps, and posters. To visit : www.hkkhpartnership.org >>
16/06/2008
Mountain Collapses After Japan Earthquake
After an earthquake estimated at magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale struck the rural areas of Tohoku, Japan on Saturday, a mountain collapsed and disappeared completely in the city of Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture, in the vicinity of the epicenter. Many roads and bridges are ruptured and destroyed. Casualties were mostly those who were at a construction site and unable to flee the collapsing building, or those who were behind the wheels and swept away by landslides. To visit : english.donga.com// >>>
05/06/2008
The Central Karakoram National Park goes online
Gilgit- The Central Karakoram National Park, which encompasses some of the world's highest peaks and largest glaciers in the world, including K2 (8611m), has a new website. The site is designed by ICIMOD and will feature information and news regarding the area that is being developed as a national park. Other organizations involved are the HKKH Partnership and Karakoram Trust, EvK2Cnr, The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund. To visit : www.cknp.org.pk/ >>>
04/06/2008
Partnerships between the highest protected areas of the world
A unique exchange brought together stakeholders from the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP), Pakistan to Nepal and the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP). Knowledge and expertise on protected area and tourism management in the highest protected areas of the world was shared between all project partners from May 26 to June 5, 2008. The exchange visit was strategically planned around the first Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) Day in order to highlight good practices, demonstrating to the team from CKNP how tourism management and local participation can contribute to protected area management. Article >>>
22/05/08
Five members of 1st Inclusive Women Expedition scale Mt Everest
This was the biggest all-Nepali women expedition to the Everest. The main objective of the expedition was to draw the world's attention to gender equality, women empowerment and the effects of climate change in the Himalayas. The government had waived all royalties equivalent to US$ 100,000 to the team and also granted financial assistance of Rs 1 million to this team. Article >>>
19/05/08
Sweden's mountains are growing greener
Climate changes are creating green and flowering mountains in Sweden, a phenomenon which has been observed for the first time in 8,000 years. Over the last century, the temperature has risen by more than one degree. This has broken the cooling trend over several thousand years, and has triggered changes in flora, fauna, and landscapes. Article >>>
14/05/08
Weather station installed on Mt Everest
A weather station, with a temperature sensor devised to record and send scientific information, has been installed on the Mount Everest. Located on South Col at 8000 meters, it is the highest weather station in the world and is built in a way to endure the freezing temperatures of over minus 50 degrees. The installation encountered several difficulties due to bad weather conditions and to the fact that the technicians worked without the aid of oxygen. The station will provide an update on an hourly basis, and feed statistics and data that can help record climate change patterns on our planet. The weather station is part of the "SHARE EVEREST 2008" project, lead by Agostino da Polenza and promoted by the Ev-K2-Cnr committee.
11/05/08
Patagonia fears environmental damage from volcano
Volcanic ash raining down from the Chilean volcano Chaiten may cause long-term environmental damage and harm the health of people and animals in picturesque Patagonia, scientists say. It has spoiled lakes, rivers and lagoons, coated plants in a dense layer of grey, and altered the sensitive habitat of animals now struggling to survive. Article >>>
