The glacier is located at an altitude of 5,109m (16,763ft) in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.The authorities say a crevasse has blocked access to the Margherita summit - the third-highest peak in Africa, and a popular destination with climbers.Scientists say glaciers in the Rwenzori range could disappear within 20 years.
UWA officials said a team had been sent to the mountain to assess the extent of damage on the route to Margherita.According to researchers, the ice cap covered 6 sq km (2 sq miles) 50 years ago. It is now less than 1 sq km, do you see the size of that ice cap?The mountain range, which is one of the few places near the equator to have glaciers, was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1994 .Global warming is taking a strike on world heritage sites. The way this news breaks my heart, you could never imagine. (I guess you can call me a nature-loving freak)
Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in 1987 on the left and in 2005 on the right |
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