Nepal's cabinet to hold Everest meeting

Kathmandu, Dec 4: Nepal's cabinet ministers on Friday, Dec 4, will hold a meeting on Mount Everest to raise awareness of the effects of climate change.

Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar and 20 other ministers reached Lukla in eastern Nepal on Wednesday, Dec 3.

The Cabinet is expected to take a formal decision at the meeting on Nepal"s climate change policy and to outline steps that need to be taken to protect the Himalayan environment.

The meeting comes ahead of next week's climate summit in Copenhagen.

Ministers hope the world's highest cabinet meeting will attract the same attention as a similar event held underwater in the Maldives on Oct 17.

Mount Everest is the highest point on earth, with a summit 29,035 ft (8,850 m) above sea level.

Scientists say the Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and creating huge glacial lakes that threaten to burst, devastating mountain communities downstream.

OneIndia News