Everest is one of the most iconic peaks on our planet. Research into its glaciers is uncovering an alarming reality… One that could cause huge change for both the wildlife, and the people that have called this place home, for generations. [Narrator] But climate change means the frozen world these communities have always known is at risk of disappearing Tenzing is from the Sherpa ethnic group and a glaciologist, whose work is providing valuable insights into the changes happening in this iconic frozen landscape. Tenzing has been part of two valuable expeditions to the Khumbu glacier, located near Everest base camp. In a world first, the team drilled 150m deep into the ice. And they found something alarming. A network of over fifty thousand glaciers has been formed here over thousands of years – created by the snow and ice that lands. The natural melting of glaciers is a crucial source of freshwater for both wildlife and local communities. But as climate change increases the rate of melting, this isn’t all that’s at risk. The communities here are living with an increased threat, of catastrophic natural disasters. These flooding events devastate communities by killing livestock, destroying infrastructure and homes. A scary reality for the one point nine, billion people, living in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. And these changes to the landscape, also threaten the identity and culture of the local Sherpa communities.
You may also like
