Articles

The Himalayan Life Force

The Himalayas represent not only the top of Planet Earth but also many other things that resonate with people from all over the world. It’s awesome beauty reminds humans of how small and ethereal they are. The mountains will be there a very long time but our lives are but mere nanoseconds. It sure puts us in our place. This aspect of the ‘roof of the world’ carries with it a deep spiritual dimension. We feel humble and we are awestruck by the artistry of the creator. The Himalayas are also a life-giving force – literally – because they are the fountain of life-giving water. The glaciers are reservoirs and when they melt each year, an enormous amount of fresh water is brought from the highlands to deltas. All along the way, the water feeds all living things. The great rivers of Asia rise there. Make no mistake – without the ever-functioning cycles every year, there would be no human civilization.

The Himalayas are now under threat from human-induced stress. Climate change, brought on by the burning of fossil fuels to support the current industrial structure, is bringing on global warming that is melting the glaciers faster and faster. If humans are unable to reverse the warming in the next couple of decades, Planet Earth as we know it will function differently. The great Asian rivers will be very temperamental and unreliable. The availability of fresh water will be at stake, which will lead to unimaginable crisis for millions of people. A no-brainer is that we should start to manage river systems and watersheds well so that we become much more water efficient and we make sensible decisions about how to share and protect this vital natural resource. This work is urgent.

Let us see the Himalayas and the river systems as global assets rather than national ones. We need people and countries all along the rivers to know where the water comes from and how sacred that place is. Humans have in fact always known rivers are their life force but we have taken them for granted for too long. The Himalayan Consensus is an idea. It can take on a form, and lead people to action. I want to give reverence everyday to that life-giving force.

Christine Loh
Christine Loh, JP, OBE, is the founder and CEO of the non-profit think tank, Civic Exchange, which is based in Hong Kong.

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