Kathmandu, September 15
Youth from Samagaun in Gorkha’s Chumnubri Rural Municipality-1 have announced an indefinite hunger strike at Manaslu Base Camp against climate injustice and the growing risks faced by Himalayan communities.
Local youth leader Dawa Norbu Lama said the hunger strike will begin on September 18 and continue until October 4, demanding measures to reduce the risks caused by climate change.
The youths have submitted an eight-point memorandum addressed to Gorkha Chief District Officer, as well as to Ward Chair Karma Chhewang Lama, the local office of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP) and the Samagaun Police Post.
The memorandum calls for an assessment of the growing risks posed by glacial lakes in and around the Manaslu Base Camp and Samagaun area.
According to the youths, several new glacial lakes have appeared this year, raising concerns about possible glacial lake outburst floods.
They have urged the government to conduct aerial monitoring and inspection of lakes around Pungen at the foot of Manaslu, Birendra Lake, Kal Tal, the lake at Ghunsarphuk, and three large high-risk glacial lakes at Nyochuthan, as well as other lakes in the Manaslu and Chum regions.
They have also called for the depth of all these lakes to be measured and for detailed studies to assess the risk of possible future glacial lake outbursts.
The memorandum demands the installation of mechanisms to measure water levels in lakes and rivers, along with warning systems such as sirens to alert local residents when risks increase.
The youths have also called for joint study and monitoring of glacial lakes and glaciers in Nepal and China.
They urged organisations working in the Himalayan region, including MCAP, to regularly monitor rising water levels in mountain areas across the country and take measures to protect communities from the resulting risks.
The memorandum also calls for climate change impacts to be incorporated into the curriculum of schools in Himalayan areas.
The youths have highlighted Nepal’s relatively small contribution to global pollution, estimated at just 0.4 percent, and demanded that Nepal intensify efforts to secure climate compensation and justice from developed countries responsible for a larger share of global pollution.
They have also urged national and international governmental and non-governmental organisations to hold climate-related meetings and seminars in Himalayan areas rather than limiting such programmes to cities, allowing decision-makers to directly experience the impact of climate change on mountain communities.
The youths have further called for preparations to protect Himalayan settlements from worsening climate impacts, citing forecasts of a stronger El Niño effect in 2027.
Lama said he would initially begin the hunger strike alone, but many other young people have expressed their willingness to join him.
The protestors say their demands are aimed at ensuring greater government attention to the immediate climate risks facing Himalayan communities and securing stronger measures for their protection.
