Destruction of mountains impacts communities below – Cardinal David

MANILA – Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David said that the impact of climate change is no longer merely a future concern following the tragedy caused by a glacier collapse in Nepal on Wednesday.

In a radio interview on Friday, the Kalookan bishop added that the disaster in the Himalayan region near the border of Nepal and Tibet — where a massive section of a glacier collapsed into the valley and triggered a torrent of water, mud, rocks, and other debris — serves as a reminder that events occurring in the mountains have a direct impact on communities situated below.

“Climate change is no longer something we can speak about merely in the future tense,” David said.

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“What happens high above us does not remain there. When mountains of ancient ice collapse, whole communities thousands of meters below can be swept away within minutes,” the cardinal added.

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He also compared the incident in Nepal to the experience of the people of Pampanga during the onslaught of lahar from Mount Pinatubo following its 1991 eruption.

“People described it as a herd of rampaging bulls coming down from the mountain. We know what it is like to watch a mountain come down as a river,” the head of the Diocese of Kalookan said.

Meanwhile, David urged the faithful to pray for Nepal, especially for the families who lost loved ones, as well as for the injured, the missing and those displaced by the tragedy.

He also reminded the public of their responsibility to care for the environment.

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“What we do to our common home, we ultimately do to ourselves,” David said.

According to the latest figures, the death toll from the incident has reached over 450, while search and rescue operations continue for 1,400 missing persons, including one Filipino.