Mount Everest, the crown jewel of the Himalayas, is facing a silent threat — climate change. Recent studies by National Geographic and ICIMOD reveal that Everest’s glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate, exposing rock layers and even decades-old climbing debris.

In 2025, satellite imagery showed that the Khumbu Glacier, once a thick river of ice, has thinned by over 50 meters in two decades. The melt is altering trekking routes, creating unstable icefalls and increasing avalanche risk.

Local communities in Khumbu Valley are also feeling the impact — glacial lake outbursts, erratic weather, and loss of freshwater sources are affecting livelihoods.

To address this, Nepal has partnered with global initiatives such as the Himalayan Climate Resilience Project to monitor glacial melt and promote sustainable tourism.

The challenge now is to balance Everest’s fame with its fragility — ensuring climbers witness its majesty without accelerating its decline.National Geographic Everest Study