WWF

1. Why is the campaign significant for Nepal?
2. What is the need of the hour?
3. What are the desired outcomes of the Campaign?
4. Who are the audience?
5. When will the campaign start and end?
6. How will it be carried out?
7. What is the significance of 2009?
8. What is the role of WWF in this Campaign?
9. Who are in the campaign core team?
10. Why are the Nepal Himalayas so significant?
11. Are there any positive sides of climate change?
12. Are there any concrete proofs of climate change in the Himalayas?
13. What are the events already scheduled in the campaign?
14. How can I be a part of this campaign?

1. Why is the campaign significant for Nepal?
Though the Himalayan range spreads across six countries, a good share of its terrain including most of its highest peaks and active glaciers fall under the territory of Nepal. Relatively speaking, Nepal’s economy, its society and indeed its whole existence as a self-sustained nation revolves around the well being of the Himalayas and the ecological functions it provides. Nepal’ industrial base including its leading industries like Hydropower and Tourism are highly vulnerable to Climate Change.

It is an irony that Nepal despite being one of lowest per capita Greenhouse Gas emitting countries in the world is likely to suffer immensely by the impacts of Climate Change. It is imperative that Nepal should take a leadership position on finding solutions to deal with impacts of Climate Change in the Himalayas, and create solidarity among all Himalayan Countries so that the voice from the Himalayas is heard loud and clear in all debates on Global Warming.

2. What is the need of the hour?
It is common sense that all agencies whether government or non-government, private sector or a development partner of Nepal must appreciate the risks associated with empathy and inaction to deal with Climate Change on their strategic and business interests.

The humongous challenge at hand demands all to come together so that

a. Climate Change, as an issue within Nepal, rather than being considered as ‘just another environmental problem’ is taken as a challenge to the national development imperatives.

b. The international community recognizes that Nepal in particular and Himalayas in general needs their attention and support-on-priority to deal with this situation.

3. What are the desired outcomes of the Campaign?
GLOBAL:  An increased sense of responsibility among the general public, the scientific community and decision makers on the impacts of Climate Change in the Himalayas leading to substantial support for Nepal and other Himalayan countries.

NATIONAL:  An increased level of awareness among media, youth, policy-makers and the general public on the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas leading to an informed and effective stance of the country at Copenhagen COP 15 summit.

4. Who are the audience?
The campaign aims to reach out to national and international audience including government, policymakers, scientific community, private sector and other strategic partners, and concerned stakeholders including vulnerable communities as well as the younger generation.

5. When will the campaign start and end?
The campaign started in April 2009, and shall continue till December 2009.

6. How will it be carried out?
There will be multiple events during the nine months of this campaign. The campaign will run up to the UNFCCC Copenhagen Climate Conference - COP15 on December 2009.

The WWF campaign team in consultation with partners will keep developing new events all through the campaign period. The events may be national, regional or international in focus.

7. What is the significance of 2009?
2009 will probably be the most important year for international negotiations on climate change. With several build-up meetings at regional and global level being lined up in coming months to negotiate the future of human response to Climate change leading eventually to Copenhagen Conference of Parties in December 2009- the time to act is now.

8. What is the role of WWF in this Campaign?
WWF, on the part of its Global Network, is committed to leave no stone unturned to influence global leaders to reach to a meaningful and ambitious target to reduce GHG emissions, and innovate and promote mechanisms to achieve such targets.

WWF Nepal will facilitate the running of this campaign by forging partnerships, and running events to support the campaign with not only like-minded government and non-government agencies but also with organizations that hitherto were not paying much attention to Climate Change in the Himalayas.

WWF Nepal shall lead WWF network offices across the globe to maximize media coverage and outreach internationally. WWF offices in the region, in particular Pakistan, China, India and Bhutan, shall collaborate with WWF Nepal to magnify the impact and reach of this campaign with Asia. WWF shall report of the outcome of this campaign periodically to all stakeholders.

9. Who are in the campaign core team?
WWF Nepal is leading the campaign with support from WWF network offices. There will be a Core Team at WWF Nepal, with the Network offices providing one focal point each for co-ordinating the campaign-related work in their respective countries including co-ordination of media-related activities.  To view the Core Team, kindly go to the Campaign Team Page.

10. Why are the Nepal Himalayas so significant?
About one third of the 2400 km long Himalayan range transverses Nepal, with 22 of the more than 30 Himalayan peaks having height over 7500 m lying in Nepal Himalayas including eight of the world's fourteen highest peaks.

The Himalayas have the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps. With glacier coverage of 33,000 km2, the region is aptly called the “Water Tower of Asia” as it provides around 8.6 X 106m3 of water annually (Dyurgerov and Maier, 1997). The Nepal Himalayas have 3,252 glaciers and 2,323 lakes above 3,500 m above sea level. These Himalayan glaciers feed seven of Asia’s great rivers: the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Huang Ho. It ensures a year round water supply to billions of people.

11. Are there any positive sides of climate change?
No, although in the short term there might be few incidents to feel happy about, like increased fertility and warmer temperature in the mountainous region, mankind will certainly bear the consequences of the catastrophic impacts of climate change in the long run.

12. Are there any concrete proofs of climate change in the Himalayas?
Yes, there are sufficient data that proves that climate change is happening and it's happening even faster in the Himalayas. The average temperature has risen by 0.06 degree Celsius whereas in the Himalayas the temperature rise is more pronounced. This year forest-fire engulfed the whole of the Nepal's mid-hills and studies have shown that many species are shifting upwards. These are probable manifestations of climate change and could have huge impacts on people and biodiversity.

13. What are the events already scheduled in the campaign?
The campaign was launched with a dramatic opening event where legendary Everest summiteer Apa Sherpa carried a climate change banner to the summit of the world’s highest mountain. After a grueling 6 weeks, Apa completed his record 19th ascent to the top of the world on May 21, 2009, where he placed the message “Stop climate change – let the Himalayas live.”

Other awareness raising events will continue till December 2009. Read more in the Events section.

14. How can I be a part of this campaign?
You can be a part of this campaign as an individual as well as an organization.

As an individual, you can contact the focal points at the WWF offices in your respective countries and ask what you can do to contribute or participate online in our various events through the Campaign Website and respective WWF Network websites.

As an organization (private sector and otherwise), you can also contact the focal points at the WWF offices in your respective countries or contact the Campaign Core Team at WWF Nepal to discuss collaborations on possible events.

More in the Take Action Section in the Home Page.