Three months ago, when “Super Sherpa,” the record 21-times Everest summiteer Apa Sherpa, set out to complete the GHT, the trek, dubbed Celebrity Smart Trek, that started from Ghunsa in Taplejung, and spanned some 1,449 km of the GHT in 88 days, concluded in Darchula.[break]
During the trek, Apa not only had the opportunity to explore virgin areas but his team members comprising environment activist and two-time Everest summiteer Dawa Steven Sherpa, multimedia journalist Saurav Dhakal, and photographer Samir Jung Thapa also got a firsthand tastes of the effects of climate change in the Nepali Himalayan region.
The trek received special international media attention, and in the forthcoming season it is hoped that tourism will expand to the new trails as GHT had set out to achieve, and Apa’s team and their stories of the people and places throughout the trail could also be helpful in studying the adverse impacts of climate change.
Kanchanjunga, Eastern Nepal
Having started the trail on January 15 from Taplejung in Eastern Nepal, the trekkers saw that it was mostly the agricultural regions that were gravely affected by climate change. The locals too were complaining of such problems. In the last five years in Ilam, there has been a difference of at least a few weeks between the flower maturation and harvest.The flowers matured two weeks earlier and had to be harvested accordingly, leading to a month’s deviation. According to the renowned composer Ganesh Rasik, now a tea plantation owner in Ilam, this trend has not only led to lesser production but has cut down employment opportunities at the tea estates, among other agro sectors.
The main source of income in the Eastern Region of the country is the production of cardamom and oranges. They found that there has been a steady decline in the harvests of these produce as well. The locals mentioned that this was due to the fog which lasted for a comparatively longer period than earlier, resulting in the loss of leaves and subsequently yielding lesser fruits.
The locals also complained that the fruits do not taste like those they had during their childhood. The income has also plummeted due to the low production of potatoes because of worm infestation.
According to the data available at the District Agriculture Development Office at Ilam, there is a huge depletion in the production of cardamom. In 2008, its production was 1,224 metric tons which decreased to 963 metric tons in 2009. In 2010, it further decreased to 694 metric tons.
Solukhumbu
When Apa and Steven Sherpa reached Lukla on February 8, they had to face a huge snowstorm. According to them, they had not faced such a snowstorm in their entire lives. The snowstorm blew away hundreds of trees in the Sagarmatha National Park besides blowing away the rooftops of three houses in Steven’s hometown, Khumjung. As the trees along the trekking route also fell due to the storm, the street stalls of the business area was greatly affected. Even the elderly locals said that they had not witnessed such a massive snowstorm till date.
Dolakha
Apa, who had visited the Tso Rolpa glacial lake some thirty years ago, noticed massive changes when he was there this time around. Back then, there used to be open grounds around the glacial lake which has now been replaced by glacier slopes. The settlement, which earlier used to be around the river, has shifted to the hills. There are no traces of the previous settlements whatsoever left around the river now.
Kaski
In Kaski, the GHT pioneers not only found that there has been a decline in the production of beans but also came to know that snowcaps have disappeared from the Macchapuchre, the Fishtail Mountain. According to Pancha Bahadur Gurung, a local from Lawang village in Kaski, there used to be a prominent snowcap on Macchapuchre until a decade ago. And colder weather contributes to the less production of beans in the area.
The villagers of Siklis in Kaski had to cross a snow glacier at 2,500 meters to let their cattle graze. The area, also known as Kabache in the Gurung language, is now a lake. In Gurung language, Kaba means snow and che means ground. The snow ground has now turned into a lake.
Bajhang
Prem Malla, a local of Bajhang, told Apa when he reached there on the 92nd day that the kafal berries ripen early and rhododendrons flower before time in the area. Whether the insects that feed on the flowers are ready at that point or not is a matter that has to be researched. This kind of event can greatly affect the ecosystem.
Dolpa
On March 28, the 74th day of their trek, and before reaching Dunai in Dolpa, the trekkers heard that the production of Yarchagumba has declined compared to the earlier times at Puwang in Rukum. The main source of income in that area, Yarchagumba is difficult to find at lower altitudes but rather it can be found higher up in quite dangerous places due to which there has been an excessive and unscientific over-harvesting of the aphrodisiac in the area.
The decreased availability of the wild Yarchagumba has also led to social and regional clashes. In a dry land like Dolpa, there has been an increase in rainfall in recent times due to which their mud roofs are in danger. In Ringmo, at Shey Phoksundo, the locals have started to use plastics to line their ceilings since the roofs are now wet.
According to data of the last three years of Dolpa, the production of Yarchagumba has been cut down to half. In 2008, there was 872 kilograms of the herb, which reduced to 478 kilograms in 2009. The amount further fell to 443 kilograms in 2010.
Jumla
The famous paddy plantations of Jumla have also seen a decrease in production by 125 metric tons in two years. The paddy, which is planted in the area of 3,000 hectares, yielded 5,550 metric tons in 2008, which was reduced to 5,400 metric tons in the current fiscal year.
Jumla witnessed more rainfall in 2011, compared to 2010. The rainfall was measured to be 750.5 millimeters in 2010, which increased to 945.3 millimeter in 2011.
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