Anto T Joseph

This is one of the most exhaustive pieces I have worked on, an attempt to put a human face on the rising climate crisis in the #Himalayas. Over the past one week, I have travelled through building rubble, devastated settlements and holding centres in some of the worst-affected parts of #Nepal. The scale of the humanitarian crisis is difficult to fathom. But beneath the debris is a much larger story. Glaciers are retreating. Permafrost is degrading. Glacial lakes are expanding. Ice loss across the Hindu Kush Himalaya is accelerating at an alarming rate. And now, unstable hanging glaciers and ice-rock systems - among the least monitored and hardest mountain hazards to predict - are adding another layer of risk. I have tried to piece together the complex science behind these changes, the widening technological gap in monitoring and early warning, and the human cost of a warming Himalayas. One issue that particularly stands out is SERVIR, a programme that helped provide critical satellite data, technology and analytical capacity for disaster risk reduction in the region. Its funding was cut after the Trump administration dismantled @USAID support, leaving an important gap at a time when the risks are increasing. The programme was delivering critical capabilities at roughly $1 million a year. The estimated reconstruction bill from Nepal’s latest disaster alone is now around $5 billion. That contrast says something about our priorities. It is far cheaper to detect danger in the mountains than to rebuild after the mountains come crashing down. Story link: newindianexpress.com/lifesty… @NewIndianXpress @UNFCCC @UNDP @UNEP @WorldBankGroup @LossandDamage @FillTheFund @icimod @AntoJoseph @santwana99 @ACJIndia