Edmund Hillary, the first climber to conquer Mount Everest with Tenzing Sherpa, urged today that the Himalayan mountain range and the world’s highest peak be placed on the United Nations’ list of endangered heritage sites because of the risks of climate change. Himalayan lakes are swelling from the runoff of melting glaciers, environmental campaigners warned as the 29th session of the UN Environmental, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s World Heritage Committee got under way today in Durban. Many could burst, threatening the lives of thousands of people and destroying Everest’s unique environment, they said. "The warming of the environment of the Himalayas has increased noticeably over the last 50 years. This has caused several and severe floods from glacial lakes and much disruption to the environment and local people," Hillary said in a statement released today. "Draining the lakes before they get to a dangerous condition is the only way to stop disasters."

The New Zealander, who with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first scaled Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, is one of a collection of climbers and others who have joined the environmental lobbying groups Friends of the Earth and Climate Justice Programme in calling for the inclusion of Nepal’s Everest National Park on UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger List. Inclusion would commit UNESCO to assessing the risk to the park and developing corrective measures in conjunction with the government of Nepal. "Mount Everest is a powerful symbol of the natural world, not just in Nepal," said Prakash Sharma, Director of Pro Public, Friends of the Earth Nepal. "If we fail to act, we are failing future generations and denying them the chance to enjoy the beauty of mother earth," Sharma said. Climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from industrialised countries also threatens the coral reefs in Belize and glaciers in Peru, according to activists who have petitioned for their inclusion too on the endangered list.