YeinJee's Asian Journal

“As wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun…”

This is how Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak (5,895m) was described by Ernest Hemingway in his famous short story “The Snow of Kilimanjaro”.

Kilimanjaro has long famed for its shiny bright snow cap, but United Nations’ Environment Program (UNEP) has warned that the iconic white glacier covers the rooftop might vanish forever in two decades as a result of global warming.

The ice field of Kilimanjaro in Feb 1993 as compared to Feb 2000 (Image from NASA)

There are other reports suggesting that the diminishing snow is not solely caused by global warming, but it’s probably undeniable that human activities are contributing to the shrink one way or the other.

The shrinking snow cap is contributing to the local tourism though… many tourists are flocking to the mountain fearing that they might not have the chance to see the snow of Kilimanjaro in future. Ironically the influx of tourists might hasten the melt.