Mountain News and Press
2009 News and Press
Khumbu Festival Focuses on Climate Change Awareness
19 June 2009 (WWF-Nepal) -- Khumjung, Nepal - As part of the Imja Tsho Action Event held in the Khumbu Region to raise awareness about Climate Change and its impacts on the Himalayas, the Khumbu Festival was held in Khumjung village. This event was part of WWF’s Climate for Life campaign to raise global awareness on the impacts of Climate Change in the Himalayas. The festival focused on highlighting the Mountain Communities of that region, their culture, heritage, and their crucial role in maintaining and protecting the mountain environment. The event was organized by Tsherwi Yondhen Tshokpa (a Sherpa students’ group) and iDEAS and supported by ICIMOD and The Himalayan Trust. Youth Clubs, Social Service Units and the local residents of the region also actively participated to make the event a success...
Surmounting climate change in the Himalayas
May 25, 2009 (CNN) -- Dawa Steven Sherpa is leader of Eco Everest Expeditions, aiming to educate climbers about their impact on the Himalayas and highlight the affects of climate change on the region...
Megaconservation: Saving wildernesses on a giant scale - New Scientist Magazine, March 2009
Earthweek - A Diary of the Planet: A weekly summary of Earth's natural history
Finalized Resolutions and Recommendations from the 4th World Conservation Congress are now available on the IUCN website.
WCPA Protected Areas Update January 2009 from the IUCN-WCPA headquarters (you can increase readabililty using the zoom feature on your reader program)
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2008 News and Press
Mountain PA Network member Dawa Steven Sherpa is setting a new standard for low impact mountaineering and mountain protection. Here are a series of links that show the impressive results and news coverage of his 2008 EcoEverest Expedition to the Everest region:
June 24, 2008 - Yahoo News: Revolutionizing high-altitude mountaineering, Dawa displays the mounds of trash removed from the high peaks. (photo included)
May 7, 2008 - BBC News: Baking Bread on Top of the World Dawa Steven used a solar powered "bakery" at Everest Base Camp this year to attract attention to the impacts of global warming and its risks to the Himalaya region from rising levels of glacial lakes. (photo included)
February 2, 2008 - The UIAA: Dawa Steven dedicating his Eco Everest Expedition 2008 to "Sir Ed Hillary's vision for the Khumbu and her people". Its purpose was to raise awareness of the impact of climate change and melting glaciers in the Himalaya, especially the risks to natural and cultural resources and people from sudden outburst floods from glacial lakes (GLOFs) in the region.
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May 24, 2008 - Congratulations to Bruno Messerli, Professor Emeritus of Mountain Geography at the University of Bern, Switzerland, nominated "Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science" (WAAS).
He was also nominated Honorary Member of the Alpine Club of England. The world's oldest Alpine club celebrated 150 years of existence and honored Bruno for his outstanding and long lasting work on high mountain environments.
The Mountain Protected Areas Network congratulates Bruno Messerli on these nominations! He has been an active member since the inception of our Network and Mountain Theme/Biome in WCPA.