A Window to the Himalayas Climate Witness Story A Window to the Himalayas - Chungda Sherpa Date

Namaste! My name is Chungda Sherpa I am from Nepal and I am here to share my story of life in the Himalayas with you

My Hometown I come from a small village called Ghunsa It is located in Kangchenjunga in the north-eastern side of Nepal

My Profession I am a hotel owner by profession and run a small lodge in Ghunsa I am also a farmer and own a small plot of land to feed my family

My home in Kangchenjunga is blessed with beauty…

Be it in the landscape…

In its people…

In its forests and rivers…

And in its wildlife…

But I fear that this beauty may completely fade one day…

With climate change already posing a threat to my region’s biodiversity and livelihoods

Glacial Lakes When I was young, the Kangchenjunga glacier was large and massive. It has retreated a lot now. I can now see glacial lakes forming which could grow larger over time and become GLOFs posing a threat to our lives and our property.

Formation of glacial lakes in Kagchenjunga

Snow Melts I remember snow being nearly 5-6 feet deep earlier but now it has gone down to 3-4 feet. Even the ice which used to be thick even during spring is now thinning out. A clear sign of the snow melt can be seen in Thango Peak; earlier it used to be covered in snow all year round but today it stands bare and rugged.

A rugged Thango peak which used to be fully covered in snow 3-4 years ago

Impact on Livelihoods Erratic monsoons has proved harmful for our crops, especially potatoes, and we are observing a lot of diseases in potatoes which were not present earlier. I used to be a herder before but left that profession since I lost many of my livestock. They died because water sources dried up and pasturelands got degraded.

Pasturelands are degrading slowly due to climate vulnerabilities which directly impact community livestock.

Impact on Snow Leopards I am the Chairperson of the Snow Leopard Conservation Committee and I have been monitoring snow leopards for the past ten years. Today, snow leopards are moving upwards from their present habitat due to receding tree-lines and snow lines. Sighting of snow leopards has in effect become very difficult. We may lose many of our snow leopards if the habitat continues to shrink with the snow melts.

If the Himalayas live, we all live. In Closing Remote communities like ours live with the impacts of climate change on a day-to-day basis; we need help to adapt. More research on glaciers in Kangchenjunga will help us know in greater detail the extent of the impact of climate change. If the Himalayas live, we all live.

Thank you! Date