KATHMANDU, June 5 (Xinhua) -- While the whole world is turning to mitigating the global climate change, Himalayan nation Nepal, to the very same context, observed the "World Environment Day-2009" on Friday amid various programs across the nation.

    To warn the general public about the climate change, which exerts an emerging impact on the Himalayan nation, various week-long programs were being held inside and outside of the capital Kathmandu to mark the World Environment Day with the theme "Your planet needs you, Unite to combat climate change".

    Commemorated yearly on June 5, the day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment and to stimulate awareness of the environment and to enhance political attention and action.

    Every year at the call of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), various programs related to environment are organized in the country situated in the lap of the Himalayas, a region in high altitude which is considered most vulnerable to climate change.

    On top of that, the Nepali Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology has taken the initiative this year to mark the day creating public awareness through organizing various relevant programs.

    Speaking at a program organized by the Environment Ministry in Kathmandu, Nepali Constituent Assembly (CA) chairman Subash Nemwang pointed out the vulnerability that Himalayan nations bear. "We are experiencing the consequences of global warming in our country," added Nemwang.

    Nemwang recalled the remark made by Nepali mountaineer Apa Sherpa, who has broken his own world record, climbing Mt. Qomolangma for the 19th time on May 21. Apa said that when he scaled the world's highest peak for the first time, it was immensely covered with white snow but gradually the white parts have been turned into black rocks.

    This snow melting phenomenon at the top of the world has not only made the summitters way to conquer the peak tougher but also is threatening the Himalayan nation over climate change and a probable impact that could smash upon local habitants.

    Nemwang said, "While celebrating the Environment Day, we need to be serious of combating the causes of the climate change." According to him, the celebration will be meaningful only if each individual, state, political parties, various governmental and nongovernmental organizations unite together performing their duty to conserve the nature. "From east to west, I appeal political parties to elevate higher than selfishness to conserve the nature," added Nemwang.

    According to him, nature destruction activities get active when nations remain engaged at solving political disorder. Nemwang admitted that the Nepali upcoming new constitution will be an eco-friendly constitution, adding that the whole CA is conscious toward the climate change issue.

    Meanwhile, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nepal, Robert Piper read out the message compiled by United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on the occasion which said this year's theme is meant to inspire all of us.

    This year's world theme to celebrate the World Environment Day seems relevant for Nepal, as the country has been placed in the 6th position in view of possible harm due to climate change and ranked 31st out of 198 countries based on possible water-induced disaster to promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues.

    Similarly, the Nepali capital Kathmandu has also been placed in the 11th position on the basis of earthquake risk.

    According to scientists, Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, becoming 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer in the last 100 years, a far higher level of warming than the 0.5-1.1 degrees on average.

    Examining the variation in precipitation (snowfall and rainfall) in the Himalayas, they have found that warming has led to a delay in the onset of winter and a reduction in snowfall.

    A study by the International Journal of Climatology from the Royal Meteorological Society, Britain, recently found that there is a unusually high rate of increase in both maximum and minimum temperatures in the last three decades in the Himalayan region.

    Scientists have said that the glaciers in the Himalayas have shrunk considerably in the last three decades, indicating major ice-loss.