South Asia is crowned by the Himalayas, the tallest mountain range in the world. This mighty barrier created by gigantic tectonic movements enables much of life in the region. It influences the climate and provides catchment of massive amounts of water during the monsoons. During the dry season, the snow melt feeds the gigantic rivers that lie to the South. The sediments from the Himalayas make it all the way to the deltas of these rivers and provide the nutrients for the region’s agriculture. The Himalayas also present superb trekking opportunities. As a recent transplant to South Asia and a life-long mountaineer, I have a few Himalayan treks on my bucket list. And one that I ticked off a little while back was the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek. The ABC trek leads to the base of the main summit of Annapurna, the ninth highest mountain in the world, which was first climbed by Maurice Herzog in 1950. Depending on the route, the trek can take six to 12 days, and as I walked the trail, there was a lot that drew my attention.

What struck me first was the serene atmosphere and stunning beauty of the region. The area around Annapurna is protected, and the sanctuary provides a concentrated glimpse of the natural wonders and beauty of Nepal. There are lush forests, countless creeks and rivers, waterfalls, mountain villages, and exotic wildlife. The panoramic views are stunning!

I also noticed the vibrancy of domestic tourism. I was told that the ABC trek is one of the most popular routes for domestic tourists, but I was still surprised by the sheer numbers of Nepalis exploring their beautiful mountains. In fact, the overall tourism sector itself appears to be well on its way to recovery. There were huge queues with people from all over the world at the visa counter in Kathmandu airport. That should be good news for Nepal’s current account and forex reserves. But when I arrived at Annapurna Base Camp, I also took note of disturbing changes. ABC is a special place. It’s like an amphitheater surrounded by gigantic peaks. The south face of Annapurna towers almost four kilometers above. There is plenty of snow and ice, and the whole scenery is breathtaking! Right next to ABC is a gigantic glacier that flows from the southern flank of the mountain and continues further south. Actually, let me correct that – there used to be a gigantic glacier. Now, one can only see the remnants of this once mighty body of ice. In my (very rough) estimate, several cubic kilometers of ice have disappeared from the glacier. I am sure that Maurice Herzog would be shocked to see just by how much the glacier has retreated since 1950. Climate change has been affecting Nepal for decades. And the impact of global heating is more pronounced in the delicate mountain ranges of the Himalayas. According to some estimates, between 2000 and 2016, the Himalayas lost eight billion tons of ice per year. This was double the amount from 1975 to 2000. These estimates are backed by ICIMOD’s Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment, which reports that glacier mass loss has increased since 2000—especially in the eastern and western Himalayas—and expects it to accelerate in the future. Going further back in history, since the Little Ice Age 400 to 700 years ago, the Himalayas have lost 40 percent of their area. The impact of climate change is the most profound and existential challenge of our times. At the World Bank Group, we have made climate change mitigation and adaptation a cornerstone of our mission and strategy. The Country Climate Development Reports (CCDR) provide a baseline of the enormity of this challenge, and as it happens, the CCDR for Nepal was published in August 2022. My experiences and observations in the mountains of Nepal have given me an additional sense of urgency, or rather alarm. Latest research indicates that half of the world's glaciers will disappear by 2100, even in the best-case scenario. We need to do all that we can to protect the fragile ecosystems of South Asia and the world and to prevent further harm for the people who live here. The author is IFC's Country Manager for Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. This piece was posted on his LinkedIn account