Climate threat to glaciers on Mountains of the Moon

The legendary status of the Rwenzori Mountains, on the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, was established when the second century Greek geographer Ptolemy made the then preposterous claim that meltwater from their ice-capped peaks made its way into the Nile. …

A century ago, glaciers were estimated to spread over some 6.5 square kilometres, but they now cover less than one square kilometre and are retreating by between ten and 30 metres every year.

Dr Richard Taylor [UCL Geography] led a team that carried out a survey of the ice-fields and predicted the glaciers will disappear completely within 20 years if the decline continues at the present rate. …

"Considering the continent's negligible contribution to global greenhouse-gas emissions, it is a terrible irony that Africa, according to current predictions, will be most affected by climate change."

He said he had met with some BaKonzo people to tell them what was happening and some members of his research team were members of the tribe. "People have all sorts of local explanations as to why the snow is disappearing. Many felt it was because they had turned away from traditional practices." …

"People felt their turning away from traditional belief systems had angered the gods and that was why the snow was disappearing. Many people thought that the disappearance of the snow meant the whole mountain was going to warm up. The ice symbolises protection from diseases and they gave it a very big prominence in their culture because it had been such a protective influence." …

The Mountains of the Moon, which are mentioned in the Edgar Allan Poe poem Eldorado, are home to one of only four remaining tropical ice fields outside of the Andes and are renowned for their spectacular and rare Afro-alpine flora and fauna. …

Dr Taylor said many BaKonzo were struggling to comprehend that the ice would soon disappear.

Ian Johnston, 'The Scotsman'