A long goodbye to glaciers?

UK: 22nd June, 8.30pm - Al Jazeera TV (Sky Channel 514) and online.
Nepal: 23rd June, 1.15am - Al Jazeera TV and online

Earlier this week we were contacted by Al Jazeera International, they are doing a glaciers special as the latest episode of their series 'The Stream'. We have sent them various footage collected in the field and by our wonderful friends at Matter Studio, so look out for that.

We have also put them in touch with Dr Dhananjay Regmi in Kathmandu who led our most recent study trip to the high glaciers. Dr Regmi will be part of a panel discussion (via Skype) and will be outlining the problems associated with glacier melt, but also, the hidden menace of Permafrost thaw.

Tune into Al Jazeera tonight at 8.30pm (UK time) to watch the show.
Here's where you can find Al Jazeera on your TV: 

Sky Digital, Channel - 514
Freesat, Channel - 203
Freeview, Channel - 83
Freeview HD, Channel - 108
Virgin Media – Cable channel 622

It is also being streamed live on the Al Jazeera website and will be available to watch online soon after.

We'll write up a short summary of the show once it has aired.   

Scenes from Nepal: A walk through Kirtipur

Here's a clip from a short walk through Kirtipur. 

The Glacier Trust helped to fund an irrigation project in Kirtipur in southern Nepal. We later supported three families to build new homes after the destructive impact of the 2015 earthquakes. I filmed this as I walked through the village in February 2017.

Look out for more Scenes from Nepal on our Facebook and Twitter profiles.

Scenes from Nepal: Playtime at Deusa AFRC

Today is Outdoor Classroom Day in the UK and Ireland. To celebrate, here is the second in our series of short films to give you a taste of life in Nepal. It's playtime at the Deusa AFRC! 

As well as being a resource centre for agro forestry education and training the Glacier Trust funded AFRC in Deusa also hosts kindergarten every morning. Here's a clip from playtime!

Look out for more Scenes from Nepal on our Facebook and Twitter profiles.

To find out more about our work in Deusa, visit our projects pages.

Scenes from Nepal: Volleyball in Durlunga

This is the first in our series of (very) short films that give a flavour of Nepal, the communities we work with and the difference your donations make.

This was shot at dusk in Durlunga Baseni in Deurali, southern Nepal.  

Look out for more Scenes from Nepal on our Facebook and Twitter pages. 

Working with Nature

It is truly amazing what can happen when you work with nature. This story is told beautifully in George Monbiot's book Feral. Working with nature is a fundamental principle at the heart of TGT projects. 

Click the image below to watch this brilliant short video on our facebook page.

Video credit: We Love USA

Five solutions for Soil Erosion in Nepal

Soil Erosion is a huge problem in Nepal and one of the world's least talked about, but most pressing environmental concerns. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, there may only be enough soil for 60 more harvests. 

Many of our projects centre around education and awareness raising. This is most commonly done through Farmer Field Schools run by our partner organisations. Soil erosion and how to prevent it, has to be a covered in any awareness raising and training activity. 

Here's a short video from SAKNepal offering up five low cost solutions:

It's the Ice Stupa.

We had a really interesting conversation with Dr Steven Palmer from Exeter University this morning. He told us about the amazing Ice Stupa project happening in Ladakh, in the far north of India. 

Sonam Wangchuk describes Ice Stupa Artificial Glaciers and the vision beyond.

It is a really simple concept for alleviating water stress in the arid upland plateaus. An Ice Stupa is like a haystack of ice, but a lot bigger, about the size of a three storey house. You make one by piping melt water from glaciers in the late winter down to village level. The water is then sprayed into the below freezing night time air. As it settles it freezes to form an Ice Stupa. This stupa can then be tapped for water over the spring and early summer months when water stress is at its most challengeing. 

This is Climate Change adaptation at its innovative best and exactly the sort of project The Glacier Trust wants to support. Dr. Palmer discussed potential locations that might benefit from this in Nepal. We're definitely adding it to our list of 'future projects', we would love to work with Exeter University and The Ice Stupa Project to fund some action-research into its suitability in Nepal. Please contact us if this is something you would be interested in helping us to fund.  

Photo credit: Ice Stupa Project - The early development of an Ice Stupa in Ladakh.

Irrigation scheme installed in Durlunga

This week we received a report from our partners HICODEF who we are working with in the Deurali district. Deurali is in Newalparasi in the south of Nepal.

This year we are funding the construction of a brand new irrigation scheme to feed the village of Durlunga in the uplands of Deurali. HICODEF have sent us these photos of the construction process.

The irrigation scheme will bring huge benefits to this community. Thanks to our support farmers in Deurali are already learning new agricultural techniques and growing crops of tomatoes, potatoes and broom grass to sell in local markets. The new water supply will make a huge difference in 2017/18. 

Please help us to continue our work in Deurali by making a donation today.