4 Dec 2009

Cabinet meeting on Mt Everest planned

4:31 pm on 4 December 2009

Two months after the Maldives government met under water, Nepalese ministers are preparing for a cabinet meeting on Mt Everest.

Just ahead of next week's climate summit in Copenhagen, the Nepalese authorities hope the meeting will highlight the effect of global warming on the glaciers of the Himalayas.

Scientific studies show temperatures are rising faster in the Himalayas than in the rest of South Asia. Less snow is falling and glaciers are melting.

The entire cabinet, including the prime minister, will travel to Kalipatar - a plateau at an altitude of 5200 metres - and stay there for just 30 minutes.

One of the organisers, Suman Pandey, says safety is a big concern. "People could get altitude sickness," he says. "We have got medical backup supported by the Himalayan Rescue Association."