Revealed: The Himalayan Meltdown

Climate Change Adaptation Project in Bhutan

As a matter of national urgency, the Bhutanese Government – with assistance from an international climate change adaptation fund that was established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and partner organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the Global Environment Facility, the World Wildlife Fund and the Government of Austria – has launched an ambitious project to prevent another disaster from glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

350 men and women have traveled 9 days through treacherous mountains for the opportunity to work on one of the kingdom’s most important and ambitious efforts. Because of the high altitude and the risk of avalanches, heavy machines cannot be used. So workers are equipped with only hand tools. They work with a sense of urgency to remove boulders and debris to clear a channel that they hope will drain Lake Thorthomi by 5 meters. In addition to the workers, another 200 local herdsmen were employed to transport the 60 tons of supplies to the site. Here, the quest to contain the Himalayan meltdown provides economic opportunity for stalwart laborers.

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