KATHMANDU: Apa Sherpa, on his 19th Everest ascent, urged the world to act against climate change.

Talking to mediapersons on Monday, Apa urged all concerned to save the fragile Himalayas. He unfurled a WWF banner with the slogan, 'Stop Climate Change-Let the Himalayas Live!", urging the world community to tackle climate change.

Addressing the meet, James Leape, director general, WWF International, said, "Climate change is already wreaking havoc in the Himalayas. The glaciers are retreating across the range."

"Some scientists predict the glaciers could be gone in just 25 years if climate change is not controlled. If that happens, it will threaten not only the lives of people and the rich biodiversity in the region, but also the development aspirations of hundreds of million people downstream," added Leape.

Anil Manandhar, country representative, WWF Nepal, praised the efforts of Apa and Dawa Steven Sherpa for taking the message of climate change to the top of the world and being ambassadors for WWF's Climate for Life campaign. "Time has come for the world to redirect its attention to the Himalayas," said Manandhar.

The expedition is a part of the Climate for Life campaign (www.climate4life.org) being led by WWF to raise awareness on the impact of climate change in the Himalayas. The expedition reminds world leaders of their responsibility towards the Himalayas as a global heritage and calls them to strike an effective deal to fight climate change at the Copenhagen Climate Summit this December.