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The Gokyo Valley, located in the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality of Solukhumbu district, sits quietly at an altitude of 4,700 to 5,000 meters. Nestled within Sagarmatha National Park, this high Himalayan landscape is often celebrated for its breathtaking beauty. But beyond the postcard-perfect scenery lies a fragile ecosystem that is increasingly shaped and threatened by climate change.

The valley is home to a remarkable chain of six freshwater lakes: Gokyo Tsho, Thonak Tsho, Taujung Tsho, Ngozumpa Tsho, and Gyazumpa Tsho, collectively known as the Gokyo Lakes system. Spread across 42.69 hectares, these high-altitude wetlands form one of the world’s highest freshwater lake systems. Fed by glacial melt from the Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal’s largest glacier stretching about 37 kilometers the lakes are not only visually stunning but ecologically unique.

I had the opportunity to witness this landscape on Earth Day, 22 April 2026, during the Gokyo Climate Summit organized by SathSathai Foundation. What appeared at first glance as a serene and untouched valley soon revealed deeper, more complex stories of environmental change.

The Gokyo Lakes are oligotrophic, meaning they are nutrient-poor but rich in oxygen, supporting specialized alpine life. During winter, most of these lakes freeze over, creating extreme conditions where only rare and highly adapted species can survive. Despite this, the wetlands serve as seasonal habitats for migratory birds. Species such as the Ibisbill and Snow Partridge depend on areas like Taujung Tsho, where extensive wetlands provide feeding and nesting grounds.

Even in seemingly harsh conditions, life persists. The margins of Ngozumpa Tsho support alpine mosses and crustose lichens, while Gyazumpa Tsho is known to host Himalayan snow trout. Aquatic studies have identified at least 12 species of diatoms and unique alpine phytoplankton in these waters. The lakes themselves shift in color from deep blue at their center to greenish tones near the edges reflecting microbial activity and ecological processes invisible to the naked eye.

Recognizing their ecological, cultural, and geological importance, the Gokyo Lakes/Wetlands were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2007. They also fall under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. For both Hindu and Buddhist communities, these lakes hold deep spiritual value, making them not just ecological assets but living cultural landscapes.

Yet, beneath this beauty lies a growing concern.

The entire Gokyo system is directly dependent on glacial meltwater. As climate change accelerates, glaciers across the Himalayas including the Ngozumpa Glacier are retreating at alarming rates. This retreat alters the volume and timing of water feeding into the lakes, leading to fluctuations in water levels. In some cases, lakes expand due to increased melt, while in others, reduced glacial input may shrink water bodies over time.

Such changes disrupt the delicate balance of these oligotrophic systems. Even slight variations in temperature and nutrient flow can impact microbial life, aquatic species, and bird habitats. Warmer temperatures may also extend the ice-free period of the lakes, altering seasonal cycles that many species depend on.

There are also emerging risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), where unstable moraine-dammed lakes suddenly release large volumes of water downstream. With settlements and infrastructure increasing in the region, the potential impacts of such events are becoming more severe.

Tourism adds another layer of pressure. At the third lake, the  hotels are built along the slope of the lateral moraine wall between the lake and the glacier. While tourism brings economic opportunities, unmanaged development in such a fragile landscape can accelerate environmental degradation through waste generation, water pollution, and increased stress on local resources.

The Gokyo Lakes are not just remote Himalayan landmarks; they are indicators of a rapidly changing mountain ecosystem. Their beauty often draws attention, but their vulnerability remains less visible.

As we reflect on places like Gokyo, the question is not only how long this beauty will last, but how we choose to respond. Protecting these high-altitude wetlands requires a balance between conservation, sustainable tourism, and climate action both locally and globally.

Because in the silence of these himalyan lakes, the story of climate change is already unfolding. 

Adapted from a Novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is a science fiction film focused on survival, problem solving and human emotions. Written by the author of The Martian, the film follows his style of science and emotion driven narratives. The Martian, which was adapted into a film in 2016 starring Matt Damon, was nominated for 7 Oscars, setting a high standard for upcoming science fiction movies. Now, Project Hail Mary is on par with The Martian, if not surpassing it in certain aspects. 

It starts with the story of a man who wakes up in a space ship 11.9 light years away from earth with no memory of who he is and why he is there. The story progresses with him slowly remembering his memory over time, represented by shifting narrative between the past and present. The film is strong in its storytelling, direction, and setting, but there is one key decision in the plot that reduces its emotional impact.

The story is one of the best parts of the film. It feels fresh and interesting, even though it follows a basic idea of survival in space. The story slowly unfolds as we venture between the past and the present. Every new piece of information adds to the layer of world building. Ryan Gosling also gives a very convincing and layered performance as Ryland Grace. 

His way of delivering some of the lines is, in itself, one of the most uplifting aspects of the film. One of the mistakes actors get wrong all the time is using the same delivery of humour for all of the situations. However, Gosling avoids it. You feel the nervousness and uncertainty he carries as he jokes in space with Rocky, while you can feel the optimistic and purposeful feeling on Earth. The joke on Earth makes you laugh, whereas the joke in space makes you tear up. This was one of Ryan Gosling’s best movie performances.

The second half of the Project Hail Mary is just a cinematic highlight. The emotions and tension build over the course of 30 minutes, layering on top of each other. The intensity becomes so strong that you are completely still and can't help but be immersed in the movie. Every minute that goes by raises the stakes for the characters. But when it reaches the pinnacle, it fails to land swiftly.

This is where the film’s weakness appears. The shift back to the past, especially after major emotional buildup, reduced the overall impact. Instead of letting the audience fully feel the weight of the reveal, the film switches to the past. This broke the flow of emotion and diminished the moment. As a result, the emotional payoff does not feel as strong as expected.

In conclusion, Project Hail Mary is a great film with a strong story, great direction, and an impressive cast. The return to the past, at an important moment, reduced its full impact, but it is still an engaging, thoughtful, emotional and spectacular science fiction film that is worth watching. Dare I say: One of the best movies of 2026.

The release of Bully, alongside SoFi concerts, marks a new phase in Ye’s (formerly known as Kanye West) career. Bully is his twelfth studio album, following several delays from 2025 and early 2026, and his first after antisemitism controversy. Ye later apologized for his behavior by taking out a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite, I love Jewish people,” he wrote, while attributing his poor judgment to his Bipolar Disorder. 

Bully’s release was accompanied by Ye’s first major US performance in several years at SoFi Stadium. He sold out 70,000 seats in LA for two nights, and featured many guest artists including Don Toliver, Travis Scott, and North West (his daughter). Much of the show drew directly from Bully, making the album a central part of the direction on stage.

On the first listen, the album feels like a nostalgia fest. The opening tracks like King and Father resembles the beat, sample style and production of Yeezus. Whereas, the later tracks draw from his College Dropout era as well as 808’s and Heartbreak’s autotune style. One of Ye’s defining traits in his albums is that he isn’t hesitant to explore new production styles, samples and voices, even if it meant going against his fanbase. But this album doesn’t exude any special or new style. It seems like Ye, after all the backlash regarding his controversy, chose not to take risks for this album. His creative process and his production are still there—every sample on the album feels enjoyable—but ultimately, it fails to do something interesting.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Bully is not a good album. It just feels like a nostalgia album that builds off his previous records, designed for every Ye fan to enjoy at least one of its songs. In doing so, the album seems unfinished and half baked as it lacks thematic progression. Having said that, if you look at each song individually instead of altogether as an album, you would probably enjoy it way more.

The reason that the album feels incomplete is due to his partnership with Gamma for the record production and sales. Bully was supposed to be a full AI album partnered with Gamma, but Ye later on decided against it and wanted to rerecord the entire project. So, it is speculated that, when the time came for releasing the album, even though Ye hadn’t completely finished working on the album, he had to release the album alongside the physical copies to maximize sales. So, the album is not technically the final product. Ye will revise and update it as time goes by. And this is not a new concept for Ye. This has happened frequently throughout his previous albums, such as Donda and The Life Of Pablo. So, to find out what Ye had in mind with this album concept. We will have to wait a few months.

Overall, Ye’s album Bully isn’t one of his best projects and does not explore Ye’s  new style, but it fulfills what it set out to do. It was meant to be a redemption album for his fans, and it succeeded in doing so. This is a type of album that has something in store for everyone: Whether you are an Ye enjoyer or not.

​The Constitution of Nepal deserves recognition for its role in dismantling the age-old chains of caste-based hierarchy, which historically concentrated power within specific groups. In a landmark move, the government led by Balen Shah has appointed a representative from the Badi community to the cabinet for the very first time. At 30 years old, Sita Badi of Karnali Province has been selected as the Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens.

​The Badi community of Nepal is one of the most ‘double-marginalized’ Dalit groups in society. Often described as the ‘untouchables among the untouchables’, they have long occupied the lowest rung of Nepal’s socio-economic ladder. Historically known as nomadic entertainers, the community has faced systemic landlessness and extreme poverty, with many families still living in temporary settlements on riverbanks.

​According to Badi elders, the community is naturally gifted in art and music. History reveals that they were once assigned to entertain the royalty and feudal lords of the era. Their role was comparable to that of modern-day actors and artists who perform for the public. During that period, their earnings and living standards were relatively high compared to others, as they received rewards from feudal patrons based on their performances. In fact, the Badi were once close to the aristocratic circles. However, as social structures shifted, they were gradually sidelined and forced into the extreme margins of society.

​The bitter truth remains that the Badi are the most deprived and oppressed group within Nepali society. Data and research support this; even when compared to Hill Dalits and Madhesi Dalits, the Badi remain the most excluded group from every societal perspective. Therefore, it is imperative that the state addresses their issues with urgency. The Badi community should be provided with dedicated reservations in key sectors. While upholding these progressive principles, the state must also counter the rhetoric of anti-reservation groups.

​In contemporary Nepal, there is frequent discussion regarding meritocracy and equality. While these concepts sound justifiable to those who have enjoyed ‘structural dividends’ for generations due to their caste, gender, or religion, they ignore the reality of the ‘caste syndicate’. For instance, the traditional Hindu Varna system pre-assigned jobs based on birth—a form of reservation that anti-inclusion groups often ignore. Furthermore, Dalits are not the only ones who benefit from reservation policies; other groups receive significant portions of these quotas. Yet, critics often target the tiny fraction of support allocated to the most oppressed. When one compares the current reservation facilities to the centuries of social, economic, and political trauma Dalits have endured, the current support is negligible. The state must refine these policies, as the current provisions remain insufficient for communities like the Badi.

In a society shaped by caste-based stereotypes, the Constitution of Nepal provides a vital mechanism to break the monopoly of the high-caste syndicate. The principles of proportional representation and inclusion are finally paving the way for the reformation and transformation of oppressed groups. This framework is successfully fulfilling its motive: providing opportunity to those in the margins and bringing them into the mainstream of the state.

Badi’s entry into the cabinet is the embodiment of what the Constitution and progressive thought aimed to achieve. Today, a representative from the most marginalized community has successfully claimed space in the federal cabinet. Before the promulgation of the Constitution in 2015, it was almost unimaginable for a common person to see a member of the Badi community in such a high office. Fortunately, the Constituent Assembly established inclusive norms to uplift the marginalized, resulting in this historic moment for Sita Badi and her people. The true beauty of proportional representation lies in its ability to grant power to those who need it most.

​The appointment of Badi is a symbolic and historic milestone for a community that has faced systemic neglect and social humiliation. In her role as Minister, society hopes to see a future where children from every community no longer suffer from exclusion and poverty. Moving forward, the state must meticulously implement reservation and inclusion policies. These constitutional provisions should not exist merely as words on paper; the public demands proper, practical action and implementation. The state must continue to give the highest priority to those at the margins of society. Indeed, ensuring their presence in the halls of power is the crowning achievement of proportional representation, turning a constitutional vision into a lived reality.