Himalaya Diwas 2025 – September 9

Himalaya Diwas, or Himalaya Day, is observed annually across India on 9 September to highlight the significance of the Himalayan mountain range and its ecosystem.

• 9 September 2025 marks the 16th edition of Himalaya Diwas.

Background:

First Observance: Himalaya Diwas was first observed in Uttarakhand in 2010 as an initiative of a group of environmentalists including Sunderlal Bahuguna, Anil Prakash Joshi, and Radha Behen.

Official Declaration: In 2014, Harish Rawat, then Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand, officially declared 9 September as ‘Himalaya Diwas’.

• The first state-recognized observance of Himalaya Diwas was held on 9 September 2015.

About the Himalayas:

Etymology:: The name “Himalayas” comes from Sanskrit: “Hima” means snow and “Alaya” means dwelling, indicating the mountains are snow-covered.

Location: It is a spectacular mountain range located in the subtropical high-pressure belt of the Earth.

Territories Covered: The Himalayas span parts of 8 South Asian territories: Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (Burma).

IHR: Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) spreads across 13 Indian States/Union Territories (UTs), stretching 2,500 kilometers (km) in length.

• It stretches from Nanga Parbat in J&K(8,138 metres(m)) in the northwest to Namcha Barwa in AR (7,756 m) in the northeast.
• The width varies from 350 km in the west (Kashmir) to 150 km in the east (AR) and the elevation range varies from 122 m to 7,023 m.
• The 13 States/UTs are Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh(HP), Arunachal Pradesh(AR), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Assam, and West Bengal(WB).

Highest Range: The Himalayas is the world’s highest mountain range, home to 9 of the 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.

• The 10 peaks above 8,000 m in Central Asia are: Shisha Pangma, Annapurna, Nanga Parbat, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse, Kangchenjunga, and Mount Everest.
• These mountains, called the “Third Pole,” form the highest mountain range on Earth.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Himalayas:

Sagarmatha National Park (SNP): Located in Nepal, it includes the highest point on Earth, Mount Sagarmatha (Everest; 8,848 m), and was designated a Cultural United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)World Heritage Site(WHS) in 1979.

Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers National Parks: Situated in Uttarakhand, these parks were recognized as a Natural UNESCO WHS in 1988.

Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA): Located inHP, it became a Natural UNESCO WHS in 2014.

Khangchendzonga National Park: Situated in Sikkim, it is India’s first and only Mixed UNESCO WHS, designated in 2016.

Himalayan Climate & Glacial Changes 2025

Geological Uplift: Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, is gradually increasing in height due to tectonic activity and isostatic rebound. Research indicates that Everest is gaining approximately 0.16 to 0.53 millimeters(mm) annually, contributing to an uplift of 2 to 5 mm per year over the past decade.

Glacial Risk: Between 2011 and 2024, glacial lakes in the IHR grew by 33.7%, with 67 lakes expanding over 40%, raising Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risks. Satellite images (2022–2024) show small ponds merging into large interconnected lakes, signaling accelerated glacial melt.

Declining Snowfall: The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region experienced its third consecutive year of below-normal snowfall in 2025, with snow persistence reaching a 23-year low.

Climate Impact: Samjung village in Mustang, Nepal, was abandoned due to glacial retreat and permafrost thaw.

2025 Events:

Conference:On September 9 2025, Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd), Governor of Uttarakhand, inaugurated the three-day global conference ‘Himalaya Calling 2025’ at Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

Theme: Rising with the Himalayas for One Earth, One Family, One Future : Accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)Together