Courtesy of Clean Energy Nepal, July 2002

According to Dr. Adarsha Pokharel, Director General of Department and Hydrology and Meteorology, average temperature in Nepal is increasing at the rate of approximately 0.06 degrees Celsius per year. The temperature in the Himalayas, however, is increasing at a faster rate. This is having serious impacts on the countries glacial lakes, which are the main source of Nepal's water resources. Speaking at the Preparatory meeting for COP-8, Dr. Pokharel noted that the Rika Samba Glacier in the Dhaulagiri region is retreating at a rate of 10m per year. "Glacial movement is usually recorded in millimeters," he said. Similarly the AX010 Glacier of Shorong Himal will be extinct by 2060. This impact on glacier lakes means more seasonal variation in river flow, which will in turn result in more floods and draughts the country. This will also result in more Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), which can be disastrous.