Climate Change

Nepal’s ice funeral: Yala Glacier is melting into history

As glaciers across the globe vanish at alarming rates, this tribute in Nepal is not just a memorial, it's a warning

DTE Staff

Nepal held a moving tribute to Yala Glacier, one of the most studied glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, as it continues to melt rapidly due to climate change.

Once a vast river of ice, Yala has already shrunk by 66 per cent and receded nearly 800 metres since the 1970s.

Now, Buddhist monks, climate scientists and local communities gathered for a solemn ceremony, a rare 'ice funeral', to honor what remains and raise awareness of the accelerating loss. One commemorative plaque between the two reads, 'Only you know if we did it.'

As glaciers across the globe vanish at alarming rates, this tribute in Nepal is not just a memorial, it's a warning.