Glaciers atop Great Lakes mountains shrinking rapidly

Science News

Mar 10, 2008, 18:40 GMT

Nairobi - Glacier's atop one of Africa's tallest mountains are melting at an alarming rate and are likely to disappear in the next 30 years, the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) said Monday. The Rwenzori Mountains, which straddle the border between Uganda and Congo, are one of Africa's three mountains that are capped by a thick layer of ice. But like Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya further north, Rwenzori's glaciers are also shrinking. 'The impact of melting of glaciers was felt by the team when it discovered that the route leading from Congo to Uganda used a glacier that no longer exists, forcing the team to open a new route,' said Marc Languy, head of WWF's Great Lakes region programme. 'However, the impact is more severe on wildlife and the vegetation that can not adapt to the new condition fast enough,' he said after an expedition to photograph the glaciers, 5,119 metres above sea level. The streams that trickle down the mountains provide water to some 2 million people and are the centrepiece of Congo's Virunga National Park, home to the world's few hundred remaining mountain gorillas. Both are listed as United Nations World Heritage Sites. The WWF said the glaciers have shrunk more than 50 per cent in the last 50 years and have about 30 years left before they melt completely. Scientists say the ice is melting because of climate change but are divided on the impact of the shrinking glaciers. Some say with no glaciers atop Africa's mountains, the rich ecosystems below are threatened. Most experts agree the shrinking ice is a visible reminder of the quick changes a warmer climate can bring to the planet. Environmental activists warn that while Africa is the least responsible for climate change, it's likely to be hit hardest by its effects and will be the least capable to deal with them.